When facing the threat of evacuation, many pet owners are caught unprepared to evacuate their companion animals as well. Whether they are prohibited by emergency response organizations or are simply unequipped, disaster preparedness plans are necessary for all pet owners to ensure the health and safety of their pets in case of emergency.  This segment will share the importance of developing strong action plans for both pets and pet owners in different types of emergencies. This segment will also address the ways in which pet owners can minimize the risk of becoming separated from their pets during disaster. Resources for this segment will include action plan worksheets for participants to fill out and take home, as well as where to download blank worksheets to share with others. 

Participants will then get to build their own evacuation bags for their pets, including things like animal first aid kits, emergency pet food reserves, and "animals in residence" stickers and wallet cards. Resources for this segment will include evacuation bag giveaways, contact lists for large animal evacuation experts, and contact lists for local and global emergency animal rescue organizations. 

Many people receive certifications for CPR and other first aid actions for humans. However, most people haven't considered animal first aid as part of this education. During an emergency, knowing some basic animal first aid treatments can mean the difference between life and death for our animal companions. During this segment, participants will get to build their own animal first aid kits to take with them. Resources for this segment will include animal first aid kit giveaways, instruction sheets with animal first aid techniques, low-cost and emergency veterinary clinic contact lists, and contact lists for local and global emergency animal rescue organizations.