Free Pet Disaster Preparedness Guide

Every pet owner and pet business owner should have their own disaster preparedness guide. You never know when a natural (or manmade) disaster can strike and you need to have a plan to ensure that you know how to get your pets to a safe place.

If you own a pet sitting business - you will also need a plan to keep your clients pets safe in an emergency situation. You should have a documented plan on hand and your pet sitters should be familiar with it so that you can act quickly when you need to.

Having a plan that you can show your clients and advertise on your website will differentiate you from other pet sitting services and give them confidence in you.

You can pick up a free Pet Disaster Preparedness Guide from Diana Guerrero’s blog - ArkAnimals.com. All you need to do is sign up for her monthly newsletter using the sign up box at the top right of this page.

Here is a preview of the Animal Disaster Preparedness Guide Table of Contents:

About this Project

Expect the Unexpected

Examples: flooding, earthquake, fire

Animal Disaster Preparedness?

Are you Prepared?

The Beginning: Questions to Ask

The Next Step: More Questions & Action!

Does Your City/Town Have A Disaster Plan Program?

You Need an Evacuation Plan

Animal Needs

Animal Rescue (Disaster) Kits

Do it Yourself Animal Disaster Kit (Dogs & Cats)

Avian Collections & Birds

Injured Bird Tips

Equine & Large Animals

Horse Kit Items

Importance of Horse Training

Livestock & Fire

Earthquake Warning Behavior from Animals

Cats, Dogs, Horses & Livestock, Birds

Other Animals

Post Disaster Animal Behavior

Cats, Dogs, Horses & Livestock

Post Disaster Problems

Hazards

Always Take Your Animals With You!

Desensitization & Other Training

Other Resources

Appendix of Animal Behavior & Needs

Moving Livestock

Other Animals

Dog Emergency Care Sheet

Cat Emergency Care Sheet

Bird Emergency Care Sheet

Horse Emergency Care Sheet

Emergency Care Sheet for Sheep, Goats, Llamas

Cattle Emergency Care Sheet

Swine Emergency Care Sheet

Appendix of Historical Animal Behavior

Animal Behavior Precursors & Locations

Resources & Recommended Reading

Appendix of Animal Disaster Agencies, Training & Equipment

Disaster/Search & Rescue Dogs

Owning a pet business does not guarantee you success, but it is generally not difficult to set up your own pet business adn many who own pet businesses love the hard working lifestyle and the closeness to pets. You will have to compete with those who may be better trained, may have lower cost structures and those who “pretend” to have your skills and experience when they do not. (eg not all those who advertise themselves as groomers are actually Groomers).

There are also key skills that all dog industry professionals should possess. Here are some of the most critical skills and abilities for those hoping to work with dogs professionally: Basic Dog Handling and Training Skills, ability to recognize behavioral signals.

Animals can be somewhat unpredictable when they are under stress or in an unfamiliar environment, like when they visit the veterinary office or the grooming salon, so it is important to be attentive and stay aware of the animal you are handling at all times.