Most of us consider our pets one of the family, well what happens to that pet in the case of an emergency or disaster situation?

The most important thing to do is to have a plan, just like you plan for your family you need to plan for your pets too.

Bob Kempf, Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator, says, “One of the things people forget about is their pets in an emergency or disaster situation. When we get ready to go on a trip, we take our pets with us or we make arrangements for a kennel or a family member, someone like that to take care of them. The same kind of planning should be taken into account concerning an emergency or disaster.”

It is important to know ahead of time where you are going to take them and to have an emergency kit ready in case of a disaster.

The kit should include enough food for a few days as well as a copy of their vaccination record, medication they need and any special toy or blanket.

Make sure to not let your pets get over-heated since they can over-heat faster than people do. It is best to use cool water not ice water when giving your pets a drink.

And always keep medication and items that are dangerous to your pet if swallowed out of their reach. For 24 hour poison control help for your pet call 1-888-426-4435.