This past week, images of beloved pets being rescued from Hurricane Sandy’s floodwaters, and stories of those left behind, served as sobering reminders of the special precautions pet owners need to take to be prepared for disaster. Here, some tips from experts around the city for now, and next time.
* Be ready to go
“People should have a kit ready that contains proper food, leashes, small beds, blankets, toys, etc., ” says Brian Shapiro, the New York State Director of the Humane Society. It’s also extremely important that pets have proper ID (on their collar and any carrying cases or crates) and be microchipped. And, make sure whatever company your pet’s microchip is registered with has your most current information. “A microchip doesn’t do any good if it’s not up to date,” notes Emily Schneider, the senior manager of media and communications for the ASPCA.
* Take your pet with you
The city mandated that all shelters allow pets during Hurricane Sandy, and that pets be allowed in all taxis and on public transport. In the past week, some 400 animals in New York City and Long Island were evacuated to shelters with their owners, according to Schneider. “We were really pushing the message of people taking their pets with them,” she says.
* Evacuate early
If there’s a chance you’ll need to evacuate and you have a pet, go sooner rather than later and before panic sets in, says dog-behavior counselor Rikke Brogaard. “It’s a lot more difficult to move a dog that’s in full panic.” Planning ahead is especially important for senior pets or those with mobility issues. “What if there’s no [working] elevator and you have a pet that’s too big to carry?” says Brogaard, herself an owner of an aging, 130-pound Great Dane.
* Have medical records at the ready
“The big thing that we’re seeing is trying to help people out and needing them to be more familiar with the medications and the types of prescription diets their pets are on,” says Dr. Michael Farber, co-chief of staff at West Chelsea Veterinary. In an emergency, you might not be able to get a hold of your own vet, so make sure you have a clear understanding of what meds your pet needs and copies of prescriptions. It’s also important to have vaccination records handy, especially if you plan on evacuating your pet to a shelter. “New York City requires a rabies vaccine,” says Farber. “Be sure your pet is current [and] keep a copy of the vaccine record, so they don’t have to be over- vaccinated.”
* Attend to your pet’s mental health
“If possible, bring a crate or carrier that can serve as your pet’s ‘safe zone’ — a place where she can go when she needs to get away from all the novel sights, smells, sounds, people and other animals in the evacuation shelter,” says Kristen Collins, director of the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team. Crates can serve the same purposes if you’ve holed up in a hotel or a friend’s house.
Even if you don’t need to evacuate, keeping an animal safe and happy indoors during a storm can be a challenge. “I’ve had lot of clients who were going completely nuts over how crazy their dogs get,” says Brogaard, who suggests owners wear out their pups by giving them mental challenges, like finding toys around the house and using a training method called shaping that breaks a desired behavior into a series of incremental steps. “It’s enormously tiring for the dog to use their brain.” When all else fails, make sure you have a rainy day supply of high-reward treats, like marrow bones, handy.
Helen Bowers with Brooklyn Bark, a dog-walking service, says some clients find using a Thundershirt (thundershirt.com), a tight garment meant to reduce anxiety, helpful to keep dogs calm during storms. You can also try swaddling an animal like a baby.
* Watch out for dangers after the storm
“Make sure pets don’t drink from puddles, as the water can be contaminated,” advises Schneider.
When returning to homes that have been flooded, “keep in mind that animals are closer to the ground and might be more in contact with the dust, mold and mildew that might develop,” says Farber. If your animal has been housed in a shelter, be alert to symptoms of contagious diseases, like upper respiratory infections.
When an area has been significantly altered by a storm — be it a hurricane or just a heavy snowfall — be cautious in letting animals off-leash in surroundings that will now appear (and smell) quite unfamiliar. “They don’t have their regular markers,” says Brogaard, who who cautions that without such familiar markers, pets can easily get lost or confused.
For more tips and resources, visit the websites of the Humane Society (humanesociety.org) and the ASPCA (aspca.org).
heber@nypost.com