Keeping Your Reptile Safe When Disaster Strikes

Keeping Your Reptile Safe When Disaster Strikes

A glance at a weather map in the summer usually shows tropical disturbances lining up in Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf waters, as peak hurricane season approaches. Each year, millions of communities face the risk of forest fires as the air gets warmer and drier. And earthquakes and tornadoes strike with little warning.

No one can tell you exactly when and where the next man-made or natural disaster will strike. Planning ahead and being prepared will help keep your family, including pets, intact or can help reunite families and lost pets.

The protection of pets during calamity was strengthened with the agreement between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). These organizations have agreed to cooperate in developing evacuation and sheltering plans for pets. Familiarizing yourself with your community¡¯s disaster plans is an important first step in safeguarding yourself and your pets.

The following true story underscores the importance of having a plan.

Start Planning Now

If you¡¯re ordered to evacuate, ¡°do everything you can to take your pets with you,¡± warns Howard White, media relations director for HSUS. ¡°Domestic animals need human care to survive.¡± The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) advises you to plan ahead and follow the HSUS disaster plan for your pets. It¡¯s similar to the one you have for the rest of your family.

Keep a list of all your animals, their species, color and any special characteristics. Proof of ownership is very important, so copy any purchase papers, including microchip information. A photo of your reptile can also help establish ownership.

Keep your reptile's medical records up to date. Emergency kennels or animal shelters may require them. Be aware that some places may not allow reptiles.

Have a lightweight, escapeproof emergency container for each reptile. Make sure there are holes for ventilation but not holes large enough for escape. For large reptiles care, a dog or cat carrier works well. In a pinch, many reptiles, especially snakes, can be transported in pillow cases.

Keep a permanent, waterproof ¡°Pets Live Here¡± sign near your doorbell, alerting emergency workers to the kind and number of pets inside.

Internet to the Rescue

The Internet provides an opportunity for reuniting pets and their humans as never before. When wildfires in Los Alamos, N.M., separated pets from their families, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter took pictures of rescued animals and posted them on their Web site. Having first used the Internet system after the Oklahoma City super-tornado, the HSUS now includes Internet guidelines in their disaster procedures.

A New Attitude

Just a few years back, emergency agencies advised evacuating people to leave their pets locked safely in a windowless room on a high floor, preferably in a bathroom with a counter, with enough food and water for a week, with separate rooms for each species. Now we know that this should be done only as a last resort.

More info about reptile care, please visit Pet Place.