Are your pets part of your emergency preparedness plan? 5 tips to keep your furry family safe
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stouffville, ON (May 2, 2022) – Emergency Preparedness Week is May 1-7, and the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society and the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) have joined forces to hit home an important message – everyone needs an emergency plan, and it must include your furry family members.
If an emergency struck that required you to evacuate or shelter in place, would you be ready? Here are five tips to keep you and your furry family members safe in the event of an emergency:
- Put together an emergency preparedness kit containing everything you, your family, and your pets will need in the first 72 hours of an emergency, including first aid kits for people and pets. You should check your emergency kit at least twice a year and update it as necessary. Keep your supplies in a watertight container(s).
- Have an evacuation plan in place that includes your animals. Ask about your municipality’s evacuation centre locations and pet policies relating to evacuation. Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area and check their policy on accepting pets during an emergency. Ask friends and relatives outside your immediate area if they could shelter your pets during an emergency.
- Ensure your dog or cat is wearing a collar with an identification tag, ideally with your phone number or the number of a relative outside of your area in case you have evacuated and can’t be reached by phone. It’s also important to have your pet microchipped and to keep that information up to date to help increase the chances of being reunited in an emergency.
- Keep a current photo of your pet with you. Make sure it includes their name, address, and a brief description, including any unique markings, in case you need to claim your pet or share information about your lost pet during an emergency.
“By having the necessary supplies to shelter in place, or a plan to evacuate with your pets, preparing for the unexpected will help ensure you’re able to care for your pets during an emergency,” says Jennifer Bluhm, Vice President, Community Outreach Services, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.
“No one wants or expects an emergency, but everyone should be prepared just in case,” says OAFC President, Deputy Chief Rob Grimwood. “A simple 72-hour emergency preparedness kit along with a preplanned emergency escape route for you, your family and pets can save the lives of those you care about most.”
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
Media relations
905-898-7122 x 375
Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
Program and Policy Analyst
Mark Tishman
416-399-0510
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity, established in 1873. The Society and its network of communities facilitate and provide for province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal well-being. Offering a variety of mission-based programs, including community-based sheltering, animal wellness services, provincial animal transfers, shelter health & wellness, high-volume spay/neuter services, animal rescue, animal advocacy, Indigenous partnership programs and humane education, the Ontario SPCA is Ontario’s animal charity.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Provincial Office sits on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of Scugog, Hiawatha and Alderville First Nations and the Métis Nation. This territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. The treaties that were signed for this particular parcel of land are collectively referred to as the Williams Treaties of 1923.
Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs represents the chief fire officers of the 441 municipal fire departments in the Province of Ontario. These chief officers are ultimately responsible, by statute, for the management and delivery of fire, rescue, and emergency response to the 14.5 million residents of Ontario.
The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs’ mission is to lead innovation and excellence in public and life safety. To achieve this, we provide a recognized, authoritative voice for all matters relating to the management and delivery of fire and emergency services in Ontario. We work cooperatively with the provincial government, key stakeholders, and other organizations to promote excellence and innovation in the areas of education and training, legislation and public policy, fire and membership services.