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K9 Corner: Practice with pets for emergencies

July 20, 2010|By HELEN PALMER | Contributing writer

In the September issue of Dog World magazine, there is an article titled “In Case of Emergency,” by Wendy Bedwell-Wilson. She comments, “Keep your dog safe by preparing for the worst.”

Yes, I know I have written on this subject before, but I am hoping that each time, someone else will take note, prepare a survival kit, plan where to go and what to do and then practice over and over again.

Did you know that people faced with extreme danger react exactly like they have practiced? Those that haven’t planned or practiced usually just freeze because they don’t know what to do.

I would be so distressed if there was a dangerous emergency in this area and a number of families were injured or even killed because they had not planned for such an event. There is no such thing as one plan for all disasters. There are some events that require the family to take shelter in place. Other disasters, such as a chemical leak, require evacuation.

In October 2006, a federal law was passed stating that all pets should be taken with the family in case of evacuation. This means that additional supplies for the pet must be included in the survival kit. It also means that pets should be a part of the practices. Leash-trained dogs will go along without a struggle, but cats are a different story.

Practicing with the cat might make it easier to get it in a carrying box quickly if you really have to evacuate. When I had to evacuate because of the burning railcar, I could not reach the cat that hid under the bed and I finally sealed the windows and closed the door and hoped for the best. She was OK when I returned, but it shows that practice is essential.

As you practice your plans, try for speed as well as accuracy. In some cases, speed is important and it will alert your pets that something different is happening.

You have the privilege of praising your pet during practice and making it feel less stressed. In an actual evacuation, you will not have time to reassure the animal so it has to take its cues from what it learned with the practices.

On Saturday, July 24, the Boyle County Emergency Management will have a table displaying handouts on protecting your family, “Protecting Your Pets” and “Creating a Survival Kit” at T.C. Feeds & Pet Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event benefits the Mutts with Manners training program for homeless dogs and will feature games, contests, prizes and much more, for both serious trainers (agility, rally and the Canine Good Citizen test) as well as activities for pet owners interested in their pet’s size, how many kisses the pet will give or “bobbing for biscuits.”

The T.C. Feeds & Pet Center is at 6710 U.S. 127 (1 mile south of Junction City). See you there...

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