Making a plan for pet care if you can’t be there, your pets will thank you

Do you have a plan in place for your pet if you suddenly couldn’t care for them due to an accident, illness or another unexpected event?

Here are some steps you can take now to help ensure your pet is in the situation you’d want for them if something were to happen to you:

Identify at least two people who can provide emergency care for your pet. They should have a key to your home, feeding and care instructions, and the name of your veterinarian.

Get to know your neighbors. They should know how many and what kinds of pets you have, as well as who to contact to care for them if something happens to you. A neighbor may be the first person to know you were taken away in an ambulance! You can also make a plan with a neighbor to evacuate or care for each other’s animals in a disaster if one of you can’t get home immediately.

Place emergency contact information, including your pet’s emergency caretakers’ names and phone numbers, in your wallet or purse. You should put this same information somewhere in your home where first responders can find it, such as on your refrigerator.

Add ICE-Pets as a contact in your phone (ICE = “In Case of Emergency”).

Keep vaccines up to date. In an emergency, your pet may need to go to a home with other animals or temporarily stay at an animal shelter. Plan now to help protect your pet from disease.

Include your pet in your estate planning and update your legal documents as animals come and go from your life.

Thank you for planning ahead for the pets who provide you with so much joy and companionship!

For more information on these topics and more, please visit www.WashingtonCountyPets.com. The Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter is located at 1901 SE 24th Ave in Hillsboro.