Week 3 of Kathleen Gage’s BlogPaws community challenge.

One of the best things about going to BlogPaws Conference, is the ability to connect with sponsors. I loved talking to the different sponsors to find out how they’re helping animals in the community. One of the sponsors of BlogPaws was Hills. I stopped for a chat at the Hills booth to talk about their hydrolyzed diet. (More on why we might need THAT in a future post.)  

While I was there, I learned that Hills has a program that helps pets when disaster strikes. You can read more about it HERE.

In our swag bag we received a post card from Hills with tips for securing your pet’s safety in an emergency. The tips are listed in bold, while my comments are in italics.

*Use a microchip or collar ID. Personally, my dogs are microchipped, but when we travel we also use a collar. Both my online information (from the chip) and the tags on my dog’s collars use my cell phone. I am basically never far from my cell phone, and when we travel, it’s definitely the easiest way to reach me.

*Put a rescue decal on the door or window.  This is more for an emergency that occurs when you are not home. We have decals on our front door, and the bedroom window. In the event of an emergency where you are not home, first responders will know to look for your pets. (Side note, I periodically use a Sharpie and freshen that decal up.)

*Know where to look for your pets, in case of evacuation. Typically my dogs are on the couch, and if they are freaked out they seek one of us out. But if your dog or cat tends to head for a bedroom or bathroom, look there first. Knowing where they will be, will save you time.

*Know where the closest pet friendly place is for you to go. While I think the tide is slowly changing, a lot of shelters still don’t allow pets. One of the BlogPaws sponsors was Red Roof Inn. All Red Roof Inns will allow one dog, while some allow more. I believe LaQuinta’s also allow pets, but I’m not sure of their policy.

*Carry a picture of your pet. I don’t know about you, but I have tons of photos of both dogs on my cell phone, and I rarely go anywhere without it. If your pet is lost or separated from you for some reason, you’ll be glad you have the photo.

*Take a pet carrier or crate with you for safe transporting. Obviously this is if you have the room in your car, and your pet is comfortable in the crate. Otherwise I suggest a good seat belt system for the car, and a double-clip harness for the leash.

One of the things I noticed when visiting the Hills website, is they also suggest having a “Go” bag. A “Go” bag is a bag you have stocked for emergencies. In a future post, I’ll list their suggestions, with some tips of my own.

Putting a little thought into how to handle an emergency, or evacuation will help make the situation less stressful for everyone involved.

Many thanks to Hills for these awesome tips.