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Nonfiction Nature Writing

Dee Walmsley

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Fires And Floods

Are you prepared for an environmental emergency? Got your kit all packed and stashed in a safe place? Are you in the habit of changing the water in your kit's bottles and replacing those dead batteries? Well, good for you, but what arrangements have you made for your pets? Do you have a fresh stock of food, dishes and water for your animals in those emergency supplies? What about a can opener? Don’t watch your traumatized animal on the six o'clock news desperately seeking food and shelter. Act now. Be prepared.

You need to know:

• if pets will be allowed to accompany you into emergency shelters
• if veterinarian clinics will become human facilities
• if your municipality or city has an emergency animal relocation plan or shelter
• if your animal is on medication, is it stated somewhere on the animal? Can the medication be replaced?

Some preventative measures you can take:

• make sure your pet has identification
• find an alternative source of shelter, i.e. out-of-town relative
• keep a stockpile of food available
• start a community resource to address these problems
• when disaster strikes, be prepared to release any chained or locked-up animals
• make up a disaster plan and rehearse it with family and friends

Don’t leave the welfare of your pets or livestock to government authorities. Take matters into your own hands and do it now! Be a responsible pet owner. Remember: you are their only lifeline.