How to Protect Your Pet in a Flood

Flood waters present a mountain of obstacles for pet owners. Protecting your pet during a storm requires quick thinking and planning to ensure a family pet makes it out of an emergency alive. As frequent natural disasters, floods in the EU can quickly hit homes, putting pets in immediate danger. Here are six steps to keep your animals safe:

Pet Planning

“It takes a village” is an old adage that also applies to protecting animals. Create an evacuation plan for your dog or other pets in the neighborhood. Such a plan should include an emergency pet bag that contains a first aid kit, medicine, identification, an d food supply. Make arrangements with your neighbor for your pet’s evacuation in the event of an emergency that happens when you’re not home. Pick a rendezvous point and stay current with contact information for neighbors who participate in the pet buddy evacuation plan. In the case of a flash flood, help neighborhood dogs that are away from home. Drop at-risk pets at shelters or take them back to the owners. You may want to consider the extra step of keeping an emergency pet bag in your car.

Pet Evacuation

Plan to evacuate your pet, if your family leaves the house. Do not keep a pet tied up at home in case of a flood. If possible, leave your pet in its carrier as you and your family leave the home. Flood waters are dangerous for pets and can kill. Long-term wetness can cause bacterial or fungus infections for furry pets. If it’s not possible to remove the pet with the family, leave the pet in a room on the upper level of your home. Put water and food in the room that will last several days. Put signs on the door and roof of your home that lets rescuers know that there are pets inside your residence. Floods often displace animals. It’s important to consider buying identification for your pet or a microchip that will let you know where your pet is in the case of an emergency.

Floods are scary for the family, especially pets who will need human help to survive. Planning your pet’s evacuation may save its life. Just as importantly, other neighborhood animals require emergency support to overcome the dangers that come with extreme flood events. By writing a detailed evacuation plan and coordinating with neighbors and local officials, you may save pets from extreme weather events, like floods.