What about your four-legged family?  There are numerous websites that provide helpful lists of what should be in your pet’s emergency kit, but as a dog trainer, I would like to discuss some additional considerations in preparing your dog for the emergency as well as some suggestions about the items your choose for your kit. 

Here is what is in my kit, which is assembled in a gym bag and ready to go. 

3 Day Supply of Emergency Pet Food:

Most people think they will just grab some of their pet’s food as they go out the door, but in an emergency situation, will you have time to do that?  Will your food travel well? Grabbing what is left in a 30 pound bag of dog food may not be convenient or practical.  I keep freeze dried beef in my kit.  The brand I use has 5 patties in a bag and weighs under a pound.  This is actually enough to feed my dog for 5 days.  For my cat, I keep freeze dried salmon, which comes in a container that weighs less than 2 ounces and can feed my cat for about three days. 

It’s a good idea to introduce your emergency food to your pet BEFORE an emergency.  I suggest using the freeze dried products every week or so as a treat.  This will alert you to any food allergies and gets your pets accustomed to the food.  Additionally, doing so will enable you to rotate the supply in your disaster kit so that you always have fresh food in the kit.

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