Resources
Planning Resources
Pet and Service Animal Evacuation Planning Community Animal Response Team The Community Animal Response Team (CART) provides volunteers with the unique experience of making a difference in the lives of livestock, companion pets, and the people who care for them. CART volunteers may be called upon to assist in emergencies requiring the rescue, evacuation, and sheltering of animals in need. CART members receive routine training in emergency sheltering and animal welfare best practices as well as hands-on experience with a wide variety of animals. If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of animals displaced by disaster, please contact the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region at 719-302-8721 or cart@hsppr.org. For more information, visit https://www.hsppr.org/get-involved/volunteer/cart/
Be Prepared
■ Be prepared to function without assistance from your service animal if necessary. Different disasters may affect animals in different ways. It is important to have a back-up plan. ■ Keep your pets’ identification information current (ID tags and microchip) ■ Evacuation shelters or hotels may not allow pets. Prepare a list of boarding kennels, animal hospitals, and pet-friendly hotels. ■ Make a plan with friends and relatives who are willing to house your pets in the event of an evacuation. ■ Prepare pet evacuation and first aid kits (see checklists on page 68). Remember to rotate perishable stock regularly. ■ Put a rescue alert sticker near your front entrance, and keep it updated with the type and number of pets in your home.
Evacuation
■ Take your pet(s) with you when you evacuate. Never leave pets turned loose, or chained up outside when you evacuate. If you leave a pet behind, they can easily be lost, injured, or worse. Advance planning and preparation will help prevent the need to leave animals behind. ■ If you need assistance with pet evacuation, you may contact the local animal control agency or humane society to request evacuation assistance for your pets as soon as possible. ■ Leave early—do not wait for a mandatory evacuation order. If you wait to be evacuated, you may be instructed to leave your pets behind. Once you leave the evacuation zone, you may not be allowed to return for your pets. ■ Keep dogs on leashes or in crates. Keep cats in carriers.
Away from Home
■ If there is a chance you will be away from home when your area is evacuated, create a “buddy plan” with nearby relatives, friends, or neighbors to help each other with animal evacuation. ■ Make sure they have a key to your house, are familiar with your pets, and have access to your pet emergency kit.
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