Keep Calm, Plan On: Pet-Friendly Disaster Preparedness

When disaster strikes, the decisions made in the first few minutes can shape the safety of every member of a household, including pets. Being prepared for a variety of emergencies can replace last-minute panic with clear, practical action.

Dr. Sarah Manning, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, shares what owners need to know about preparing an evacuation plan, a bag of pet essentials, and a reliable place to stay ahead of time to ensure that owners are able to take positive, actionable steps forward and get everybody to safety.

When Your Region Can See It All

Various regions experience a broad range of weather-related threats, from hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and wildfires to other emergencies, depending on the season and local geography.

“Pet owners should focus on the hazards most likely to affect their specific community; a lot of it comes down to knowing your particular region,” Manning said. “Texas, for example, is such a large state with a massive land mass, so we can see almost every single type of disaster here.” 

Understanding the types of emergencies most likely to occur in a particular area is an important first step in creating an evacuation plan, so people who are new to a region should familiarize themselves with seasonal weather patterns. 

Some risks follow a more predictable calendar — hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November, while wildfire risk often rises during dry, hot, or windy periods. The timing of those risks varies by location. 

Still, she emphasizes that pet owners should be prepared for a range of conditions rather than relying only on the calendar.

Building A Pet Go-Bag

A pet go-bag — a bag with pet essentials that are ready, should you need to evacuate quickly — should be ready well before an emergency alert arrives. Supplies should be checked periodically to ensure food and water are fresh and medications are current, while durable items — including records and comfort items — should remain packed and ready.

For each pet, the bag should include: 

• Three to seven days’ worth of food and water
• Two weeks’ worth of necessary medications
• Hard copies of veterinary records
• Your pet’s rabies certificate
• A leash, harness, carrier, kennel, or safe containment option
• Food and water bowls
• Waste bags or litter supplies
• A comfort toy, blanket, or an item with the owner’s scent

“If you have dogs, cats, or a mix of both, you need three to seven days worth of supplies per animal,” Manning said.

Medications are equally important, especially those needed for optimal health and survival. Pets owners should ensure prescriptions are always filled and designate a spot for medication in the go-bag so they are readily available if an emergency prevents a trip to the pharmacy or veterinarian. 

Meanwhile, comfort items keep pets calm in the chaos. 

“Emotions travel down the leash,” Manning said. “When owners stay calm, their pets can stay calm, too. 

“Familiar items such as a favorite toy, blanket, or an item carrying the owner’s scent can provide comfort and help ease the stress of an unfamiliar and frightening situation,” she said.

Knowing Where To Go

With essentials packed, the next step in preparing for an emergency is knowing where to go.

Evacuation plans should include multiple destinations and routes heading in all directions as well as potential highways, stopping points, and overnight accommodations.

Pet-friendly lodging, as well as family members who may be able to provide temporary shelter, should be identified before an emergency occurs. 

Because some hotels do not accept animals — some that do may ask to see a current rabies certificate before allowing a pet to stay — keeping your pets documentation in your go-bag can prevent an added obstacle during an already stressful situation. 

“Depending on the nature of the disaster, there can be emergency human and animal shelters that are purposely built for people evacuating,” Manning said. 

She also recommended staying connected to emergency services, alerts, and news coverage during an emergency. Knowing when to leave, which routes are open, and where shelters are available can help families make informed decisions as conditions change.

Practicing Before An Emergency

Because an evacuation plan is only useful if people — and pets — can follow it under stress, Manning recommends practicing key steps in calm conditions so that they become routine when time is short. 

For cats, the practice may start with their carriers. Because cats often associate their carrier with a veterinary visit, they may hide as soon as they see one. 

“The worst time for your cat to hide from their carrier is when you need to evacuate,” Manning said.

Dogs can develop similar associations with their leashes and harnesses. While some may become excited at the sight of a leash because they associate it with going outside, others may back away if they associate it with an upcoming veterinary visit.

With these scenarios, positive reinforcement training can help pets respond more reliably when an evacuation becomes necessary. Incorporating these items into a pet’s everyday environment can help pets become more comfortable with them. 

The same applies to a pet’s go-bag; its location should be easy to remember and easy to access, especially when there may be only minutes to evacuate. 

Manning advises pet owners to consider whether they can find the bag and load it into their vehicle within 10 minutes.

“Owners are often shocked when they practice these things under pressure or under a time crunch; in times of stress, your fine motor skills kind of start to diminish,” she said. “The more you practice and focus on remaining calm, the better you’ll be whenever you’re stressed out.”

Once the plan has been practiced, having the right supplies ready can make an evacuation even easier.

September can serve as a useful reminder to review disaster plans, but preparation should not be limited to one month; owners should remember to routinely check and refresh food, water, and medication supplies; update records; confirm lodging options; and practice loading pets into carriers or vehicles. 

A little preparation now can make a significant difference when every minute counts. With those steps in place, families will be better positioned to act quickly — and help their pets feel safer — when it matters most.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.