Ruff Life Tips during a Natural Disaster

During a recent bad storm, like many other North Texans, our little family was living the 'ruff' life -- no power, lots of storm damage, upset schedules and much more. With lives becoming topsy turvey, you have to keep positive, be creative and think quickly. 

We definitely didn't have an emergency preparedness plan for either the hooman or furbabies, but now will do so to make sure everyone is safe and as happy as possible. Below are a few things we learned...

• Make sure the furry ones are microchipped and wearing their tags. Fences can fall down and doors open wide with high winds. Neighbors were reporting loose animals running around. 
• See if your HOA or neighborhood association has a microchip scanner. If not, suggest that you or someone gets one that the entire neighborhood can use. Amazon sells several, including ones that are inexpensive like the DDZ Pet Microchip Scanner for $50. It was great to see our neighborhood jump quickly to find homes for lost furry ones. 
• If your home is uninhabitable, plan for a pet-friendly place to stay such as a nearby hotel, the vet, friend/family member, or boarding facility. It was nice to have our veterinarian on speed dial. Not only do they know the pets, they were understanding of the situation.
• Prepare an emergency kit including pet food, water, medication, vaccination records, first aid kit, etc.
• Have leashes readily available. You don't want to have to hunt for them in the dark or in a hurry. 
• Keep waste removal bags in the car and in your kit. If you have a kitty, consider stocking kitty litter in your kit. 
• Keep a powerful flashlight like the Atomic Beam ready to go! The Atomic Beam was a lifesaver for us for not only lighting up the home, but we also needed a powerful flashlight to keep an eye on the pets in the dark. This particular light was spectacular! Much better than a standard flashlight.
• Buy a battery-powered fan like the Treva 10" fan. With Veronica being a long-haired dog, she was getting hot quickly. This fan kept her cool in June! It's best to get this now and store it. The stores ran out of these quickly. Very popular! 
• Keep batteries stocked and ready to go! All of our batteries were dead and we ended up driving 40 minutes to find them because batteries were sold out in the immediate area.
• Consider putting paper towels, body wipes and trash bags in your kit. Also, a towel and blanket would be great! 

It's always good to be prepared! The fur kids and I were lucky that we could stay at home. However, we had to improvise for four days. We now have the tools should anything arise in the future!