Most of us have – or should have – an emergency kit ready, in case disaster strikes. We’ve listed to the Civil Defence ads, we’ve bottled our water and charged our torches, but have we thought about what would happen to our pets in the event of an emergency?
As the anniversary of the February 2011 Christchurch quake approached, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is asking New Zealanders to get a disaster plan in place for their four-legged friends.
WSPA has launched an online resource for pet owners, covering everything from guinea pigs to horses, so Kiwis can take care of their pets in a crisis.
The downloadable packs contain practical advice on what a pet needs in the event of an emergency – items such as a water proof cage, a muzzle for your dog and ensuring your animal is microchipped.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a wake-up call to the importance of having a disaster plan for pets as owners refusing to leave their pets behind disrupted rescue efforts, WSPA New Zealand country manager Bridget Vercoe says.
“We want Kiwis to make a disaster plan for their family and pets now, so that their pet may actually end up saving their lives,” Ms Vercoe says.
“[Owners] and their pet will be well prepared to evacuate fast together, or if safer stay put, with sufficient supplies when a disaster strikes.”
Microchipping is the “single most effective way” to ensure pets can be found in an emergency, RNZSPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger says.
She says 80 percent of microchipped pets taken to the SPCA following the Christchurch quake were reunited with their owners, compared with only 20 percent of unchipped pets.
Under New Zealand law it is the owner, or person in charge, who is responsible for caring for their pet.
3 News