Resources for Pet Lovers

For Our Own Animals

There is a lot we can do for our companion animals to help them weather climate change and extreme weather events. Here are some recommended actions to do at home, some items that may be of help, and additional resources for more information.

What you can do right now:

  • Prepare an emergency kit for your pet that includes enough food and water for 21 days, a pet first aid kit, booties, extra leash and harness (cats too!), warming and cooling jackets, extra medication, and don’t forget that comforting toy!

  • Update your pet’s microchip information, or get a microchip if you do not have one. Many vets and animal shelters can offer low to no cost chips.

  • If you own a dog, work on their recall! In a chaotic environment, it is a lifesaving skill to be able to call your dog back to you. If working with a trainer is not available to you, check out many of the online resources (some listed below) to help you work on that skill at home.

  • Adopt! Shelters are so strained and choosing to adopt a pet frees up resources for them to help provide emergency care and sheltering before, during, and after climate events. If you must purchase an animal, choose one that is better adapted to your current climate.

  • Crate training. During emergency response, it is likely that at some point, your animal will need to be crated. Work on making your pet comfortable in a crate and learn what type of crate keeps them safe. Wrestling a wiggling cat into a small carrier can sometimes be harder than getting a dog into a crate, so this is a skill to work on with all pets!

  • Put a plan in place should something happen to you in an emergency. This could be a friend of family member who will know to look for your pet, and they can be listed as a backup in your pet’s microchip information. Some shelters have programs where they will know to take ownership of your pet and rehome them. It may seem like a sad conversation to have, but it’s a critical one.

  • Being a pet owner comes with a big carbon footprint. From the food we buy to the plastic toys to the poop we sometimes leave behind. There are many ways to lower your pet’s impact on the planet, with your help:

    • ALWAYS pick up after your pet! Reuse plastic bread bags and other bags to give them a second life for poop collection. Poop goes in the trash, though there is some guidance on how to compost poop- check link below!

    • If your pet can tolerate it, choose lower carbon protein sources for your pet food such as poultry or fish. There may also be some local food companies in your area that you can support. Or, get skilled in making your own!

    • Does your pet have toys that they are not that interested in? If they are relatively clean and unused, donate them to shelters instead of throwing them in the trash. There are also some pet brands that make toys out of recycled materials! The same goes for leashes, bedding, and clothing.

    • Pet food bag recycling programs have come and gone, but there are some that have persisted. Some brands offer recycling through TerraCycle for a cost, but it is worth exploring.

Support Community Animals

Whether you own a pet or not, there are so many ways to help animals in our communities when it comes to climate preparation and planning. Giving time, money, and advocacy are the most effective ways to make a difference and be a helpful resource!

  • Become a certified volunteer and help ASPCA and HSUS in disaster response! There are free online classes you can take to build the knowledgebase to be deployed as an animal rescue volunteer following emergencies.

  • Volunteer at your own shelter and get on mailing lists. When warming and cooling centers open, they will often put out a call for volunteers to come help with humans and their animals.

  • Donation of not only money, but also food, water, and bedding to organizations that help low-income and houseless people can make a huge difference during an emergency.

  • Share information in a kind and helpful way. Simple posts on social media can alert people to the dangers of taking pets out in extreme weather, or on hot sidewalks.

  • Be and advocate to local government! Is your local community working on climate planning? Contact them to let them know that they need to include animal welfare in their climate plans in order to serve the best interests of not only the animal, but the humans who love them.

  • Support spay and neuter programs! How does this help? With longer kitten and puppy breeding seasons, there are more animals entering our shelters, which can lead to a strain on resources, and increased euthanasia rates.

Resources:

Pet Emergency Kit- Get started with one with like this one from Chewy

FidoPro Pet Carrier- Not a bad idea should you be in a position to have to carry an injured or exhausted pet!

FEMA Animals in Disasters- FREE Course, often required to deploy with animal rescue organizations

ASPCA National Field Response Volunteer Program

Prepare Your Pets for Disasters- Ready.Gov

Teaching Recall to your Dog- Noble Woof

USDA Guide for Composting Dog Poop

TerraCycle Pet Food Bag Recycling

CycleDog- pet toys and accessories made from recycled bike tires!