Disaster Planning for Pets

In An Emergency, You And Your Pets Could Be On Your Own
For 72 Hours Or More.

Read below what the City of Vancouver ESS Volunteer Pet Committee is doing to prepare for a disaster.

We all remember the heart-wrenching broadcasts of Hurricane Katrina that showed evacuees who refused to leave life-threatening situations because it meant abandoning their pets. As a direct result, Dr. Ben Weinberger, a veterinarian who donated his time to the pets of New Orleans after the devastation – was moved to form the City of Vancouver ESS Volunteer Pet Committee. Other pet committee members include volunteers from the SPCA, Vancouver Animal Shelter, Vancouver Parks Board, ESS, and the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT). Under Dr. Weinberger’s leadership, volunteers have spent countless hours developing a plan to ensure our 4-legged friends will not be forgotten in the event of a disaster. 

As part of the City of Vancouver Emergency Pet Plan, a container was purchased to hold the necessary supplies to look after pets during a major emergency or disaster. Supplies included in the container are kennels, bowls, litter trays, pet food, and numerous other items that would be required to care for pets. 

The City of Vancouver has entered into a partnership agreement with the PNE to use the Forum Building as a triage centre for injured and lost pets; the pet container is stored there. A similar agreement is in place with Canada West Veterinary Specialists & Critical Care Hospital near the PNE, the destination for injured pets that require emergency care during a disaster.

The Vancouver Animal Shelter and the SPCA are key partners in the program. In many of the city’s smaller ESS activations, these organizations help provide support when evacuees need help with their pets. Vancouver currently has 27 “People” containers in place. The majority of the “People” containers are located at Vancouver community centres and contain cots, blankets, water, food, and other supplies that would be required to open a Reception Centre or Group Lodging Centres to look after a displaced population until they can return home. We know many evacuees will have pets and part of the ESS plan includes looking after pets at Reception or Group Lodging Centres. 

The key to better surviving a disaster is to ensure you, your families and of course, your pets are prepared.  A couple of key points to consider in getting prepared:

• Have a “buddy system” with a good friend or neighbour to check on your pets if a disaster strikes and you are not home.
  Prepare a disaster kit for each of your pets, including:
  Photos of your pet(s)
  Vet & vaccination records in a zip-locked bag
  Up to two weeks worth of medications, food & water
  Non-spill food and water bowls
  Pet first aid kit
  Travel kennel, blankets, toys and treats

If you evacuate, take your pets with you! Leaving animals behind significantly decreases their chance of survival.

Lions Bay’s ESS Program is looking for people with animal handling experience or an interest in pets to ensure Lions Bay’s pets won’t be forgotten.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact:

For more information refer to www.pep.bc.ca or www.vancouveranimalshelter.ca “Rescuing Rex”.

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