National Preparedness Month Week 3: September 17- 23, 2023

Older Americans – Service Animals

Older Americans with service animals will need to make additional emergency planning efforts to ensure their service animal is accounted for during an emergency.

Be prepared to:

• Explain to first responders that you have a service animal and that you have the legal right to be evacuated with your service animal.
• Have food, extra water, ID tags, veterinarian records and other supplies for your animal.

Pets – Anxiety and Stress Preparation

Animals can be more sensitive to dramatic visual stimuli, intense noise, and unexpected chaos of a disaster. Many pets may try to escape their homes as a response to these stressors.

Here are some tips for calming disaster-related anxiety in your pet:

• Fearful Animals. Pets that are severely thunder phobic may try and dash out the door given an opportunity. Take precautions to make sure your pet is unable to escape from your home or yard. Ensure they have current ID tags and are microchipped.
• Prepare a Safe Space. Prepare and small area for your pet such as the bathroom or a covered crate with their favorite toys and extra bedding, where they can hide and feel safe. It is helpful to teach crate training ahead of time, so your pet is comfortable in a crate.
• Blocking Noise. Blocking out noise as well as visual stimuli can reduce stress. Close curtains or shades and play classical music or use a white noise machine to further reduce these stimuli.