Protect Your Pets in an Emergency
Make plans to ensure your pet's safety before, during, and after an emergency. The following are organizations and resources that you can contact or access to help you plan how to protect your pets.
If you don't have a plan and need information quickly in an emergency, contact:
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Find out what your community's plans and resources are for protecting pets in an emergency. The following are considered key resources for planning how to ensure your pets' safety before an emergency:
- American Red Cross
Visit the Red Cross' Web site on Animal Safety, which is a joint effort of the Red Cross and the Humane Society.
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
AMVA offers a variety of resources to assist veterinarians, animal owners, and others interested in the well-being of animals to prepare for animal safety in the event of a disaster.
- Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS)
EARS responds to disasters by sending trained volunteers to rescue, shelter, feed, groom, exercise, and provide tender loving care for any displaced companion animals (dogs, cats, etc.), wildlife, and livestock during the duration of a disaster with no charge to the community. Visit the EARS Website for information on protecting cats, dogs, horses, and other companion animals from disaster.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA is the federal agency that leads the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. - Animals and Emergencies: Preparedness Information: http://www.fema.gov/individual/animals.shtm
- Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART)
SART offers a downloadable PowerPoint presentation “Pets & Disasters: Personal Planning.”
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine offers the fact sheet “Protecting Pets in a Disaster.” This fact sheet provides tips on preparing for a disaster and handling animals during and after a disaster.
- National Animal Poison Control Center
In emergency situations, pets could be poisoned by exposure to harmful chemicals, products, or foods. For information on protecting your pets, visit the Animal Poison Control Center’s Web site. If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, call toll-free 1-888-426-4435 (calls are answered 24 hours a day, every day).
- Pet Travel and Lodging Resources
Most emergency shelters do not take pets. Before an emergency, plan where you will take your family and pets if you are ever asked to evacuate your home. There are a number of organizations that offer advice and resources for traveling with pets, including searchable lists of lodging establishments that accept pets. For example, visit
- San Bernardino County
If you are a pet owner, you need to make sure that you have included your pets in your emergency preparations. Of course, different disasters will require different responses, but you may have to evacuate your home. See Disaster Preparedness for Your Pets to learn more about how to protect your pets. - The Humane Society
Visit the Humane Society's Web site on pets and disaster planning.
Get Involved
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See also:
Disclaimer: Links to other federal and nonfederal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
- Page last updated September 2, 2008
- Content source: CDC Emergency Communication System (ECS), Division of Health Communication and Marketing (DHCM), National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)
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