Pet Safety

As Southern California residents, we are tuned to the various issues of our area: traffic, good weather, a championship hockey team, and more traffic. However, we sometimes forget to plan for one of the most important issues for residents: earthquakes. Consequently, we forget to make our earthquake kits until we actually experience an earthquake. So given the warmth of summer and your impending vacation, invest a bit of time and make an earthquake kit for yourself and each of your pets. Here is a suggested list for your pet emergency kit.

3-7 days' worth of food, either dry or canned

Disposable trash bags

Liquid dish soap and disinfectant

First aid kit

Pet feeding dishes

Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash

Photocopies or scanned copies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires 

Bottled water, at least 7 days' worth for each person and pet. Recommended amount is 1-2 gallons a day.

A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet

Flashlight and extra batteries

Blankets

Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make "Lost" posters)

Especially for dogs: Extra leash, toys and chew toys, a week's worth of cage liner.

Important Considerations: 
A camping water filter may be useful in the event of a water shortage.

Food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit once every 2-3 months, otherwise they lose their usefulness or potency. 

A plastic tub for storing items is useful and should be stored in a location easily accessible, such as a backyard shed. Zip tie the tub to prevent animals from opening it.

A microchipped pet has a higher chance of retrieval in the event your pet gets lost in the earthquake.

A smaller earthquake survival kit for your auto is useful. Use an old backpack for storage of your items. 

We all love our golden retrievers so please take the time to prepare ahead of time. For more information, please check out the following websites for useful pertinent information for disaster preparedness.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2011/03/preparing-for-earthquakes.html