Wrangling pets to safety can be one of the most difficult parts of a pet disaster prep plan. For that reason we suggest a little pre-planning and training.
With horses or large livestock, your evacuation plan will vary depending on the threat. For a storm, sometimes the only thing you can do is let them run in the largest pasture you can. Some people recommend opening your pasture gate to let them get away, but this puts your horse at risk for getting hit by vehicles on the road. If you have a tiny pasture and no other options I could see doing this in desperation, but it is a risk. I would not keep my horses in the barn if a tornado was heading my way.
In case of fire or flood, have your horse well trained to trailer. A horse that will enter and exit a trailer readily is a huge benefit to an evacuation. Keep your trailer on your truck if you think evacuation is a possiblity.
For cats we suggest a portable crate that can be readily grabbed and transported. Crate the cat before you absolutely need to do so to avoid having to chase and or struggle with the cat.
For Dogs:
1. Know where your safe zone is, the best way to get there and how long it will take you to do so. This could be in your house, in a cellar or other storm shelter, at a neighbor's house if you're talking about a storm or outside the danger zone if you're talking about flood or fire.
2. Know what you can store in your safe zone. Look at the area. Consider the number of occupants it will need to hold, and assess additional storage capacity. Can you store emergency supplies there or is it a warm bodies only space?
3. Train your dog for the space they'll occupy and how you're going to get there.
First and foremost, work on your dog's off leash recall. A dog who will return to you if they get loose is worth their weight in gold, even if it's just for the cookie in your hand.
If your evacuation plan calls for your dog to be crated, make sure they are comfortable with the crate, and enter it easily on command.
If your plan calls for your dog to descend stairs into a cellar, storm shelter or basement, train them to do so calmly and on command. Even if you first have to carry the dog down the stairs, be sure to give them your chosen command and give them a treat. Continue to do so until they are comfortable entering and exiting the safe space. We use "Underground!" to train our dogs to descend into the cellar. They receive treats when they are down the stairs and safely in their crates.
If your plan calls for your dog to walk on a leash, train them to do so, both in a calm area and in a noisy, hectic, high traffic environment.
If your plan calls for your dog to ride in a vehicle, train them to load on command. Take them for car rides with positive consequences, such as a park visit or a food reward. We like the "load up" command to get our dogs in the van.
So many times you hear "I just didn't have time to get the dogs out..." How much easier would it be if you could open a couple of doors, yell a command and have the dog do the rest?
4. Pre-plan the storm. If you know you have the possibility of a severe storm, get your dog harnessed and have the leash readily at hand. If you are crating the dog in a cellar, basement or other shelter, consider doing so before the storm gets to your area. The easiest and surest way to get your dog to safety is to do it before it becomes an emergency situation. If a wildfire is in your area, consider asking someone outside the area to watch your dog until the fire is out.
