July 8th, 2007 at 07:35am
Under Animal Safety+ Pet Care+ Pet Hazards
To be sure you can properly take care of your pet during an emergency, like Hurricane Katrina, or during an evacuation, you must plan ahead.
If you have to leave your home, take your pet with you if at all possible. You are the best person to take care of your pet. Also, as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) pointed out in a brochure it issued about preparing for a disaster, if the situation is dangerous for people, it is dangerous for animals, too.
But, before you leave, know where you can take your pet. Find out which motels or hotels are “pet friendly,” or which ones will accept pets in an emergency. Or plan to go to the house of a friend or relative who will permit you to bring your pet.
Before you have to travel, get your pet used to a crate. Familiar surroundings might help easy a pet’s anxiety. And getting an animal into a crate for travel will be easier once the animal is used to it.
Take pet food, medicines, vaccination records, and information about pet insurance if your have a policy. Assemble all of this into a disaster kit that you can grab as you leave.
Relying on a neighbor
If you get trapped away from your home due to a disaster or other emergency, your pet will be better off if you have already made arrangements with your neighbor or nearby friend to take care of the animal.
The temporary caretaker should have phone numbers to reach you (a cell phone number may be the best), and all the instruction necessary to properly care for the animal. Those instructions should include a signed authorization for veterinary care, and financial limits to the veterinary care.
Afterward
Emergencies can make pets display unexpected or uncharacteristic behaviors. Well-behaved animals may become aggressive and defensive after a major disruption in their lives. The animal may not return to more typical behavior for several weeks. Be careful releasing an animal after an emergency, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. Make sure it cannot escape. Do not release the animal outside until you know the area is safe, AVMA said.
Allow your pet plenty of time to rest and get used to new surroundings. Provide familiar toys, if possible.
AVMA has prepared an extensive guide to preparing for emergencies, both for pet owners and livestock owners. It is available on AVMA’s website, at www.avma.org/disaster. Download a copy of “Saving the Whole -Family.”
The guide has checklists and helpful tips on preparing for disasters, and it explains the steps you should take once the warning has been sounded.
It has information about taking care of all types of pets, including birds and snakes. It also has information about preparing livestock
By Fred
July 3rd, 2007 at 07:31am
Under Animal Safety+ Pet Care
I know that I keep posting this information, but stupid people with pets are still with us, and this time of year with all of the traveling, its a important time to repeat it………………….
GUIDE TO TRAVELING WITH YOUR PETS
May 23, 2002–Millions of American families are about to embark upon a national pastime–summer vacation air travel. Many Americans also choose to travel with other valued family members, their pets. Few things disrupt vacations more than unexpected problems. To help make traveling with pets more enjoyable, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service outlines several pet travel requirements and tips to make Americans that travel with their pets informed and happy travelers.
Under the Animal Welfare Act, APHIS regulates the air transport of dogs and cats. The AWA provides regulatory guidelines to assure humane travel standards for pets. Travelers need to know the following criteria before traveling with an airline:
Dogs and cats must be at least 8 weeks old and weaned;
Kennels must meet minimum standards for size, strength, sanitation and ventilation;
Kennels must be enclosed and allow room for the animal to stand, sit, breathe and rest comfortably;
Kennels must have a solid, leak-proof floor covered with litter or absorbent lining;
Kennels must have ventilated openings making up 14 percent of total wall space;
Kennels must have grips or handles for lifting to facilitate handling by cargo workers;
Each species must have its own kennel with the exception of compatible personal pets of similar size. Maximum numbers include two puppies or kittens less than 6 months old;
Airlines require attached instructions to the kennel for feeding, watering and administering medication for any animal when traveling time is over 24 hours.
Airlines and state health officials generally require health certificates for all animals transported by air. A licensed veterinarian who examined the animal within 10 days of transport must issue health certificates.
In addition, APHIS believes the following are helpful hints to make traveling with a pet more enjoyable.
Whenever possible, book a direct, nonstop flight and avoid holiday or weekend travel.
Arrive at the airport with plenty of time to insure proper check-in of your pet.
Carry a leash to walk your pet before check-in and after arrival.
Do not take your pet out of its kennel inside the airport.
Clearly mark the kennel with the pet’s name.
Provide a telephone number of someone at your destination the airline may contact regarding your pet.
Call the airline for its specific travel requirements.
Pets taken out of the United States are subject, upon return, to the same regulations for those entering for the first time. Pet cats and dogs are subject to inspection at points of entry for
evidence of infectious diseases transmittable to humans. Dogs must have an unexpired certificate showing vaccination against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States. Pet cats do not require a rabies vaccination. All pet cats and dogs arriving in Hawaii and the territory of Guam are subject to quarantine requirements. Travelers taking pet cats and dogs to the United Kingdom must obtain from an APHIS accredited veterinarian a Pet Travel Scheme Entry or Re-entry Certificate from the USDA office in his or her state.
For further information regarding pet airline travel requirements please contact Jerry DePoyster, USDA, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 84, Riverdale, Md. 20737, telephone: (301) 734-7586, e-mail: ace@usda.gov, Web page: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/publication.html.
By Fred
