We'll be traveling back to DC next week for another Bystander Preparedness meeting at the White House with representatives from the National Security Council; the Department of Homeland Security; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Defense; and prehospital and physician provider organizations... in the interim, other White House Denizens are focusing on Furry Citizen Safety:

Get ‘Petpared’ with Bo and Sunny Obama

Preparing your family for disaster also includes having a plan for your pets. As part of National Preparedness Month, the White House Office of Digital Strategy, America’s PrepareAthon!, and the Ready Campaign released a special pet preparedness video featuring the nation’s “First Dogs,” Bo and Sunny Obama. PetParedness Are your pets prepared for a natural disaster? Get tips for keeping all your family members safe—even the furry ones ? This exciting video highlights tips for creating a pet preparedness emergency kit, finding pet-friendly shelters, and making pet identification name tags.   Other preparedness tips include:

Make a Pet Emergency Plan

  • ID your pet. Make sure your pet’s tags are up-to-date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home. Also consider microchipping your pets.
  • Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
  • Make a pet emergency kit.
  • Download Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners for a full list of items to include in your pets kit.
Check out this quick list:
  • Pet food
  • Bottled water
  • Medications
  • Veterinary records
  • Cat litter/pan
  • Manual can opener
  • Food dishes
  • First aid kit and other supplies
  • Identify shelters. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to allow pets well in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers.
  • Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.