Free Emergency Planning Tips from NAPPS!

If you were faced with a sudden disaster, would you be ready and able to act in your pets’ best interests?

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the welfare of animals, is raising awareness about the importance of developing plans to ensure emergency preparedness accounts for your pets’ well being.

NAPPS’ Emergency Planning Committee has created a free, 20-page emergency planning guide that includes specific recommendations for monitoring and coping with tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, winter storms, extreme heat, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. The informative manual is available for free download HERE.

“We can’t always predict when emergencies – whether severe weather or ‘man-made’ disasters – will arise, but we can do our best to be organized and thorough in our response to them,” said NAPPS President Monica Leighton. “Establishing plans to prepare for, mitigate and respond to urgent situations is essential for the safety of your entire family, including furry, feathery or four-legged members.”

While the appropriate actions vary depending on the specific emergency, several responses are applicable to most situations, and include:

• Completing pet identification forms for each animal in the household
• Familiarizing yourself with local (county, state, etc.) emergency plans
• Crating pets before they are able to sense danger, so they’re unable to hide.
• Providing plenty of TLC to pets after the emergency has passed.

Given the importance of pet identification, NAPPS also reminds pet parents and sitters that the most important thing you can do for your pets is purchase simple identification tags; however, since even the best collars can slip off, NAPPS recommends considering the Microchip as a back-up.

To find a pet sitter in your area, check out NAPPS’ nationwide “Pet Sitter Locator” at www.petsitters.org. You can also follow @TheNAPPS on Twitter or on Facebook.com/TheNAPPS.
*This material was taken from a NAPPS press release, if you have questions contact Liz Cies.

Tagged Emergency Preparation, Health, pet health