Be Disaster Ready: Animal Disaster Preparedness Week 2021

Being ready when an emergency strikes is the distinctive characteristic of a responsible pet parent.

As we observe National Animal Disaster Preparedness Week 2021, here are some of the best guidance you can follow to be ready when your pet needs you the most:

• Disaster Plan for Dogs (AKC)

• Developing an Emergency or Disaster Preparedness Plan (AKC) - PDF

• Emergency Evacuation Plan Guidance (AKC)

• Pet Disaster Checklist (CDC) - PDF

Educational Courses

If you are interested in taking in-depth training in disaster preparedness for animals, there are two main training paths you can take to be disaster-ready:

1. Take the FEMA Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness training course (IS-10.A). This training course is a pre-requisite for most disaster assistance training by professional organizations.

2. Become a certified member of the ASPCA National Field Response (NFR) team and be ready to assist in deployments to help and save animal lives.

Most of these courses are free and are even part of our WashPaw staff members' training when becoming part of our team.

Remember, being ready and knowing what to do are the keys to survive any emergency.