PAYSON, Ariz. — More than a dozen wildfires are actively burning in Arizona. It is even more important for residents to be prepared to evacuate – that includes pets.
The Arizona Humane Society deployed its emergency response team three times in the past two weeks, caring for dogs and cats evacuated from the wildfires. Currently, the organization is taking care of nearly 30 pets evacuated from the Backbone Fire at a Middle School in Payson.
Bretta Nelson with the Arizona Humane Society offers these tips for evacuating pets:
- Have a "go-bag" and a disaster plan in place ready if you have to leave on short notice.
- Have enough food for at least five days.
- Have their medication ready to go.
- Have their vet records.
- Look ahead of time for pet-friendly housing available.
Nelson also recommends practicing your evacuation plans with your pets to make it less stressful when the evacuation orders come in.
“Practice that plan. Our kitty friends, when something like this happens they are going to get stressed out and they’re not used to getting into a crate," said Nelson. "That’s something you may struggle with if you only have minutes to leave. Make sure pets are part of your disaster plan."
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