Prepare Animals for Emergencies
In response to regional fires, prepare in advance to make sure your animals are supplied and have a place to go if you need to leave at a moment’s notice.
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Current Regional Disaster Information
Domestic Pets
License & microchip your pets
If you and your pet are separated, having a license and a microchip are the best precautions to help others contact you in an emergency.
- Make sure tags have current phone numbers.
- License your pet with your local jurisdiction.
- Microchip your pet with your local vet.
- If your pet is microchipped, update your contact information with the microchip registry.
Prepare a 72 Hour Kit For Pets
In addition to clothing and emergency supplies you’re packing for yourself, be sure to pack enough supplies for your pet.
Remember to Pack:
- Food
- Bottled water
- Any medication your pet may need
- Treats
- For dogs, something to chew on in a stressful environment.
- For cats, several cans of high-value wet food.
- A favorite toy
- A crate where your pet can be comfortably confined if needed in any environment you may be staying
- Bedding- a bed, pad, or blanket
- First aid & sanitation supplies
- Collars and leashes
- Proof of ownership - a copy of vet records, adoption or breeder documentation, licensing records, and photos of you and your pet together.
Plan where you can stay with your pets
Identify pet-friendly lodging in the area you plan to go in an emergency.
- Speak ahead of time with family and friends you may stay with about accommodations for your pets.
- Find a pet-friendly hotel or motel in advance.
- Find a pet friendly campground.
Emergency Shelters
- If you plan to stay in an emergency shelter, find out what arrangements they may have for your pets before arriving.
- Owners are expected to care for and spend time with their pets - shelter volunteers and attendants will not be able to care for them in your place.
- Some regional Red Cross shelters have a designated, separate area where pets can stay. Many do not. These locations and their pet policies may change over the course of an emergency.
- Most regional animal shelters will not have the capacity to provide emergency boarding for your pets in an evacuation.
- In the event that emergency shelters for people aren’t able to accommodate pets, emergency personnel and regional shelters may establish a separate emergency shelter for pets.
Plan ahead with neighbors
Make arrangements with a trusted neighbor in advance to find and bring your pets to you, or provide temporary care in the event that you are away from your property during an evacuation.
Livestock
- If you have livestock, you should evacuate during Level 2: Get Set
- Make a plan with friends, family, or trusted associates who can help transport and shelter animals a safe distance away - if you choose a location that’s too close, you may need to move animals multiple times
- Have feed, medication, bedding, rope/lariat, halters/leads, cleaning supplies, veterinary records and proof of ownership, and other supplies ready to go
- Evacuation transport or emergency shelter support may be available regionally when evacuation orders are issued, but transport and shelter capacity is limited
- Register your livestock to be reunited in the event that they’re lost
- Use the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Lost & Found Service for Livestock
Additional resources for pet emergency preparedness
