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Have You Prepared for Your Pets?

We are in Hurricane Season and we learned in the fall of 2004 that hurricanes can affect Western North Carolina. Your County Government is more prepared than ever and we've thought about your pets too!

In order to assist you in making the proper arrangements, Buncombe County Government has organized the Buncombe County Animal Response Team. We have prepared a brochure designed to help you make informed decisions about your pet during a time of crisis.

The brochure contains the proper steps to get prepared, local hotels that accept pets, emergency contact numbers and other valuable information.

For a PDF version of the brochure see the link below.

Emergency Pet Preparedness Brochure

The Buncombe County Response Team offers the following tips for pets, livestock and wild animals:

• If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. Pets most likely cannot survive on their own, and if by chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return or they may become a public danger/nuisance.
• For public health reasons, many citizen emergency evacuation shelters do not accept pets.
• Arrange in advance of a predicted major disaster or emergency to shelter your pet at a local animal shelter or a shelter out of the area.
• Include local animal shelter numbers in your list of emergency numbers—they will be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster.
• Find out which motels and hotels in your area allow pets.
• Make sure identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
• Make sure you have a secure pet carrier and leash or harness for your pet so that if the animal panics, it cannot escape.
• Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they are not available later. Be aware that in the event of an emergency these supplies may not be available or could become lost or misplaced.
• Make sure you have a copy of your pet’s medical records. If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your pet. Most boarding kennels, veterinary shelters, and animal shelters require that your pet’s vaccinations are current.
• If it is impossible to take your pet with you to temporary shelter, contact friends, family, veterinarians, or boarding kennels to arrange for care. Make sure medical and feeding information, food, medicine and other supplies accompany your pet to its foster home.

Livestock

• Evacuate livestock whenever possible. The evacuation sites should have or be able to readily obtain food, water, veterinary care, handling equipment and facilities.
• If evacuation is not possible, a decision must be made whether to move large animals to available shelter or turn them outside. This decision should be determined based on the type of disaster and the soundness and location of the shelter.
• All animals should have some form of identification that will help facilitate their return.

Precautions--Wild Animals

• Wild animals often seek higher ground, which, during floods, eventually become submerged (i.e., island), and the animals become stranded. If the island is large enough and provides suitable shelter, you can leave food appropriate to the species. Animals have a flight response and will flee from anyone approaching too closely. If the animal threatens to rush into the water, back away from the island.
• Wild animals often seek refuge from floodwater on upper levels of a home and may remain inside even after the water recedes. If you meet a rat or snake face to face, be careful but don't panic. Open a window or other escape route and the animal will probably leave on its own. Never attempt to capture a wild animal unless you have the training, protective clothing, restraint equipment and caging necessary to perform the job.
• Beware of an increased number of snakes and other predators who will try to feed on the carcasses of reptiles, amphibians and small mammals that have been drowned or crushed in their burrows or under rocks.