Disaster Preparedness: 911 Tips from Hills Pet Nutrition

by Christy Caplan | July 16, 2016

The Arizona Humane Society spoke at our BlogPaws VIP luncheon (#Hills #PetPreparedness)

Josie Kirk-Pagel, Hills and Arizona Humane Society EAMT/animal cruelty investigator at BlogPaws.

Can you take care of your pet during an emergency! Every 23 seconds, a fire department rushes to a fire in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association! (#sponsored) 

I attended a wonderful VIP luncheon at BlogPaws presented by Hills Pet Nutrition. We learned a lot about their Pet Prepared Campaign and their advice on what should be in the very important Pet-Emergency Go Kit. This post reflects what I learned.

“The best thing a family can do in the case of an emergency is be prepared, and that includes having a plan in place for your pets,” said Arnaud Brel, Associate Director of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Food, Shelter & Love® program. “We hope that families take into account simple steps that will help them feel ready should disaster strike.”

So first, we talked about planning and how important that is before a disaster takes place. You have to assume you won’t be returning home right away after a disaster. Some common questions came up and the answers were addressed by a member of the Arizona Humane Society EAMT and an animal cruelty investigator:

Q. How can I transport my animals? Where should I go if I cannot return home?

A. Transport them in crates to a temporary shelter (in the case of a natural disaster)

Q. If there is a house fire, who should I speak with?

A. Ask for the incident command officer

Q. Where do I put my sticker letting the emergency team know that I have animals in the house?

A. It’s great to put the sticker in the front of the home in a super obvious place (needs to be at eye level) and also write your cell#. If you bring your pets with you, spray paint on your house that all animals have been moved from this property on the door.

So what’s the plan?

Some key points

• Keep your dog current on vaccinations so he’ll be accepted an an emergency shelter
• ID tags — see the piece I just posted about PetHub digital tags
• Designate a willing neighbor to serve as a stand in to evacuate your dog if you’re at work
• Microchip your dog

Essentials for your dog’s evacuation kit: “Pet Preparedness Go-Kit” 

• Bags for pet waste
• Food and water bowls and a two week supply of food and medications
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Safety Harness
• Photo of your dog(s)
• Photocopies of vaccination records plus your vet office information
• A sturdy crate

The Hill’s Disaster Relief Network quickly responds to and aids impacted areas by supplying pet food to harmed communities. The first-of-its-kind network was established in 2013 as an extension of the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love® program, which has donated more than $280 million worth of Hill’s® Science Diet® brand pet foods to over 1,000 shelters in the U.S. and helped more than 8 million pets find new homes.

More information can be found at this link. 

Another resource for the window decal can be found here on ASPCA’s site.

Hill’s social media channels:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook 

Josie Kirk-Pagel, Hills and Arizona Humane Society EAMT/animal cruelty investigator at BlogPaws.