Pet Safety and Natural Disasters

The most important things to do for your pet during iminent natural disasters:

•  Get and ID tag containing your current info (name, address, phone number) and attach to your pets collar (opt for a neon colored collar so your pet can be easier to see!). Ensure your pet wears that collar at all times. A pet with an ID tag indicates to emergency crews that your animal is a pet that belongs to a family and not wild, which could mean the difference between getting rescued or not.

• Get your pet microshipped and up-to-date on vaccinations.Because an ID tag can come off or become damaged during an emergency, you also need to get your pet microchipped. A microchip can be inserted under your pet's skin by your veterinarian. To be effective, the microchip must be registered to the pet's owner so he or she can be contacted in the event the animal is lost. Keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date to reduce their risk of illness. If you are evacuated, your pet may not be able to come with you to a shelter and may be held in boarding with other animals whose health status is unknown.

• Have a photo or several photos of your pet on hand for proof of ownership and accurate identification of your pet. It would be a good idea to have a document on hand pointing out identifiable special color markings or scars that will help identify your pet as well.  

• Have a first-aid/emergency kit on hand for your pet. Any emergency kit made for humans can be utilized for your pet as well. Also include your pet's paperwork. Make copies of your pet’s  immunization records, microchip information and vet and emergency contact numbers. Include this paperwork in your emergency kit.

• If at all possible never leave your pet behind! Try to bring your pets with you or plan somewhere you can temporarily house your pet be it with relatives/friends or a boarding facilities away from the natural disaster zone. If you have not other choice but to leave you pet behind make sure plenty of food and water is left behind and post a flyer outside your house that their are pets inside. Never leave your pet in a cage, locked up in a room or tied up! Give a chance for your pet to escape if need be leave a window open, gate open or have a accessible doggy door.

• If your pet goes missing during a natural disaster, it’s important that you don’t endanger yourself looking for your pet. Avoid going outside or far from home if the conditions outside are unmanageable or downright dangerous. Instead, check sites like Nextdoor, Craigslist, Facebook groups or PetFinder – to see if anyone has found your pet. Next, call or visit your local shelters and veterinarian clinics in case your pet was dropped off by an emergency crew or Good Samaritan.

Pets are often overlooked or abandoned during natural disasters because they don’t have the proper identification or paperwork. Because natural disasters can happen any time and with little warning, plan for your pet as you would for any member of your household. Doing so could mean the difference between your pet staying with you during an emergency or getting left behind.

Still to Cold Outside? How about moving to Hawaii with your pets?

Information to know if you are moving to Hawaii with pets.

Moving Pets to Hawaii

Are you moving to Hawaii with pets or just visiting but can’t leave your furry family members behind? In order to save time, heart-ache, and money…here is a summarized version of Hawaii’s Animal Quarantine Law and qualifying your pet for the “5 Day or Less Program.”

Hawaii’s Animal Quarantine Law

1. Your pet must have been vaccinated at least twice for rabies in its lifetime, and they must have been administered more than 30 days apart from one another. The most recent one must be done at least 90 days before the pet’s arrival to Hawaii but no later than the expiration date of the vaccine.
2. Your pet must be “micro-chipped” prior to arrival…if the chip cannot be read, your pet will have to undergo the 120-day quarantine.
3. Your veterinarian must draw blood samples and forward them to an approved lab for an OIE-FAVN Rabies Blood Test. After these results are received, (results are valid for three years) 120 days must pass before your animal arrives in Hawaii. Arriving before the full 120 days has elapsed will result in disqualification from the 5 day or less program!
4. A veterinarian must treat your pet for ticks and pests with an approved product such as Fipronil and record it on your pet’s health certificate. (Within 14 days prior to arrival.) If there is any evidence of infestation upon inspection at the station, your pet can be quarantined despite meeting all the other criteria.
5. All documents need to be mailed to the Animal Quarantine Station at least ten days in advance of your pet’s arrival and they must be originals. No fax or photocopies will be accepted. (Do keep copies for your records.)

The animal inspection office is only open from 8:00AM – 5:00PM. Make sure that you are on a flight that arrives in Honolulu by 3:30PM if you plan on taking your pet home that day. (It could take as long as an hour for your pet to be transferred from the plane.)

Fees

Direct release at the airport is $165 per pet, $224 for the 5 day or less program, and $1,080 for the full 120-day quarantine. They can process this payment on-site but recommend you mail it in together with the other documentation to avoid long waits.


Credit:http://www.hawaiilife.com/articles/2010/04/moving-to-hawaii-with-pets/