Contra Costa County CERT Program Unit 10 – Pet Preparedness Released: 10 January 2016

Visual 10.1 Community Emergency Response Team  Personal safety is ALWAYS the number one priority  Work as a team  Wear personal protective equipment…gloves, helmet, goggles, N95 mask and boots  The CERT goal is to do the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number  Hope for the best but plan for the worst

Visual 10.2 Why Pets Matter  Why Pets Matter  63% of all US households own pets  Before Katrina, 25% of pet owners failed to evacuate (during mandatory evacuation)  Before Katrina, 40% of pet owners left pets behind (during mandatory evacuation)  Before Katrina, 70% of those pet owners attempted to return to rescue their animals  After Katrina, 61% of pet owners state they will not evacuate without their pets  Pets Matter, Because People Matter...

Visual 10.3 Pets in Disasters  "During Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of animals became homeless or perished. Many pet owners stayed with their pets and perished," Rep. Chris Shays, 2006  The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act – introduced by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) – requires the inclusion of companion animals in disaster planning at the state and local levels.  It was signed into law by President Bush on October 8, 2006

Visual 10.4 Pets in Contra Costa CityPopulationHouseholdsDogsCatsBirdsHorsesOtherTotal Antioch101, ,95124,9783,7851,8924,05056,656 Brentwood40,91215,3238,88710,1131, ,64022,938 Clayton10,9824,1132,3862, ,157 Concord124,79846,74127,11030,8494,6742,3375,00169,971 Danville42,80916,0339,29910,5821, ,71624,002 El Cerrito23,4078,7675,0855, ,124 Hercules23,3608,7495,0745, ,097 Lafayette24,3179,1075,2826, ,634 Martinez36,81813,7907,9989,1011, ,47520,643 Moraga16,4356,1553,5704, ,215 Oakley28,26510,5866,1406,9871, ,13315,847 Orinda17,7976,6663,8664, ,978 Pinole19,6047,3424,2594, ,991 Pittsburg62,60523,44813,60015,4752,3451,1722,50935,101 Pleasant Hill33,63812,5997,3078,3151, ,34818,860 Richmond103,01238,58122,37725,4643,8581,9294,12857,756 San Pablo31,34411,7396,8097,7481, ,25617,574 San Ramon51,02719,11111,08512,6131, ,04528,610 Walnut Creek66,50124,90714,44616,4382,4911,2452,66537,285 Unincorporated161,57460,58235,13839,9846,0583, ,691 Total1,020,434382,185221,667252,24238,21919,01940,894572,131 Estimates from 2000

Visual 10.5 Identify Evacuation Locations  Safe distance from home  Coordinate with Neighbors  Define Tasks  Identify Pet Friendly Hotels      Identify Boarding Kennels and Ranches

Visual 10.6 Evacuation  Evacuate with your animals  PETS Act: Mandatory evacuation of pets with human animals  If you are not home:  You may not be home when the evacuation order comes; find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location.

Visual 10.7 Secure Your Animals  Your Home May Be Compromised: Create Controlled Environment  Have Kennels / Evac-Sacs in a Safe Place  Assign Retrieval Tasks to Family Members  Have Buddy System Exchange Keys / Plans With Neighbor / Pet Sitter  Identify Outdoors Holding Area  Obtain Materials to Create Holding Area  Identify & Remove Hazards

Visual 10.8 Keep Your Animals Alive  Store animal food (2 weeks)  Airtight, waterproof containers  In secure area  Store extra water (2 week supply)  Not in direct sunlight  Water that is unfit for human animals is unfit for ALL animals  Food and water bowls  Paper towels, dish soap, disinfectant

Visual 10.9 Keep Your Animals Healthy  Pet first aid kit  Medications  Ask vet about his/her disaster plan  Blankets  Toys and treats  Plastic poop bags or cat litter and litter trays

Visual Provide a Clean, Safe Place  Dogs and cats  Collapsible crate or kennel  Harness, leash and cable screw / stake  Horses, swine, cattle  Halter and lead rope  Bedding material  Manure fork  Birds, reptiles, rabbits  Cage liners  Evacuation cage or carrier  Fish?

Visual Provide a Safe Place

Visual ID Your Animals and Yourself  ID your pets  Put an ID tag on collar  Microchip each pet  Vet contact  Vaccination records / spayed or neutered  Register your pet –  ID yourself  Take photos of yourself with your pets In wallet In emergency kit With loved one outside of district

Visual What’s Next?  Animal Response Training through Concord CERT  CoCoCART – Contra Costa County Animal Response Team  Learn pet first aid  Noah’s Wish  American Red Cross  American Safety Academy  Take FEMA courses  IS-10 – Animals in Disaster, Awareness and Preparedness  IS-11 – Animals in Disaster, community Planning  IS-111 – Livestock in Disasters   Join animal rescue groups  Get your city prepared for pet evacuation

Visual Unit Summary  Why pets matter  Keep your animals safe  Identify evacuation locations  Secure your animals  Keeping your animals alive  Keeping your animals healthy  Provide a clean, safe place  ID your animals and yourself  Get additional training  Get your city prepared for pet evacuation