Coco and Henry
National Pet Month is a celebration of the benefits pets bring to our lives. In the United States, National Pet Month is observed in May; in the United Kingdom, it is observed during the month of April. National Pet Month is a time to promote the benefits of pet ownership, support pet adoptions, and raise awareness of the contributions made by working companion animals. During the month, many retailers offer sales on pet-related items, from dog food to toys.
Out of curiosity, I checked the “pet calendar” and found a number of days designated to various pet causes, from the seemingly silly (January 14 is designated “National Dress-Up Your Pet Day”) to the serious (February is “Spay/Neuter Awareness Month”). But for every month, there are certain tasks we need to do to ensure the safety of our pets in the event of a disaster. In addition to keeping “Go Kits” or “Emergency Packs” for each human member of the household and small business, we need to do the same for our pets. The “Go Kit” is the pack of supplies that we take with us in the event of an evacuation. It is a good practice to refresh the Go Kits monthly:
- To ensure that the food set aside for emergency use stays fresh, each month, I take the food out of the “Go Kit” and use it while it is still safe and tasty to eat and replace it with new food provisions for take-away.
- I verify that all of the medical records and vaccine information is current. I keep a record of this information in my smart phone, so if I have to check into a hotel with the dogs, I can prove that they are current on rabies and other vaccinations. I always update their electronic records after every visit to the veterinarian. But I also check it as a precaution when I refresh their “Go Kit” food.
- I check that contact information for all of the pet caregivers is current in my smart phone, should I have to evacuate. My veterinarian recently married and moved out of state, so I just updated my records for the new vet who is assuming his practice responsibilities. This ensures that I have the current contact information available to anyone who presses the “ICE” button (“In Case of Emergency”) on my smart phone.
- Of course, I perform the same “refresh” tasks for the Pet Go Kits as for the human ones, including replacing the bottled water each month and checking the batteries in the flashlights.
So I see National Pet Month as the opportunity to stock up on non-perishable items at discounted prices for the “Go Kit” for my cocker spaniels, Coco and Henry. But, as a pet parent, I celebrate them every month.