Preparing livestock, pets for fire season and severe weather
AUGUSTA, Kan. (KSNW) – Severe weather season is on its way, and fire season has begun. Janell Jessup, co-coordinator of the Butler County Animal Response Team, says people remember to get themselves prepared, but not always their pets and livestock.
Jessup says to have enough food for three to seven days for you and your animals. Include leashes, bedding, a pet first aid kit and a pet information sheet with vet information, emergency contacts and behavior needs.
“Whether they don’t like other dogs, other cats, if they have any special needs, and include that with it so that if you go into an emergency shelter, the shelter people will know exactly what they need to do to take care of your pet,” Jessup said.
Livestock need extra halters, leads, and identification.
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“You need to make sure that there is some way to identify your livestock in an emergency if you’re having to evacuate quickly,” Jessup said. “You can use a permanent marker and put your phone number on there. You can also braid a tag into their mane. Cattle and goats and sheep typically have ear tags. Make sure that all of that information is recorded back to you.”
Jessup also recommends having a picture of your animals to help get them identified or if they get picked up. For livestock, have an evacuation plan.
“If you do not have your own trailer, contact a neighbor or a friend who does have a trailer and make arrangements to have them on standby,” Jessup said. “It’s a good idea to have a boarding stable or someplace in your area that you can evacuate your horse to, especially since we’re coming into wildfire season. Make sure you have multiple evacuation routes. Sometimes in the county, roads will get cut off, so make sure you know how to get out of there.”
You can also sign up for reverse 911 so you are notified when there is a situation near your home. Microchipping is one of the most important tools in identifying pets and reuniting them with their owner.
“If your pets are not microchipped, get them to one of the free or low-cost microchipping clinics,” Jessup said. “Make sure that they are chipped and that you register the chip. Do not expect to just have them shipped in and not register it. Keep the information updated on your microchip.”
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She says to be weather aware to keep your family and animals safe.
“When storms are coming, make sure your pets are rounded up and in the house,” Jessup said. “Don’t let them out. If they’re storm-phobic, make sure that you have them in a quiet and secure place. It’s a good idea to have a traveling crate for cats and dogs. There are collapsible ones that you can buy online that are fairly reasonably priced. But just make sure you have a secure place to keep your pet away from the open windows, open doors, somewhere that they’re secured and safe.”
She says if your pet is afraid of storms, talk to your veterinarian.
“There are medications that your vet can prescribe to help that you can give your pet ahead of the storm when you know it’s coming to kind of calm them down,” Jessup said. “Get them in a secure room, put them in a closet if necessary, a small room where you can shut the windows, play a radio, play some kind of music to distract them from the storms. Make sure they have their collars on, and that includes cats, and make sure you have the leashes on them. You don’t want to be chasing a cat out from under a sofa at the last minute. Get them in their crates and get them in the basement early.”
More resources can be found here.
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