photo credit: Creative Commons

Wildfires and other emergencies are a reminder that it's important to have a go-bag ready and an evacuation plan in place. And that includes having a plan for your pets. KRCB's Shandra Back talks with Sonoma County Animal Services Director Brian Whipple about how to prepare your animals for when an evacuation order comes.

KRCB: The love of an animal, that bond is really strong. In an emergency, sometimes things need to happen fast. Sometimes shelters don't allow animals. How can that affect safety when you're trying to balance protecting your pet and protecting yourself?

WHIPPLE: It's a known fact people won't evacuate if they can't take their pets with them. One thing that's unique for Sonoma County is that we will always set up, to start with, a pet-friendly shelter. People can come right away and have a place to bring their pet. Most of the ones we set up are cohabitated, where the person can be sitting on their cot, sleeping with their dog in their lap or have their cat in its crate next door.

We also work with the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, where most of the time that's where the shelters are set up, and we have an area there where we evacuate all the large animals — horses, mules, you name it. Crazy birds end up down there as well.

What's interesting about Sonoma County is that people are really good at evacuating their small animals, their dogs and cats. Large animals, obviously, are a little trickier, and that's where most of the work needs to be done: getting those large animals to a safe place.

KRCB: Sonoma County must be a unique place to work because it's not just dogs and cats. We're a very agricultural county, so I imagine there are a lot of other types of animals that need to be evacuated during an emergency.

WHIPPLE: Yeah, absolutely. It's interesting because there's all sorts of farming. There's goats, sheep, cattle, chickens, and it's a big horse industry. There are a lot of large animals in this county that need to move.

With those, we always say, if you hear there's going to be an evacuation, go early. Get your plan together because it takes longer, and practice your plan before you get there.

There are a lot of people out there who have horses that have never been in a trailer before, and trying to load an animal during a stressful situation is not easy. You only have so much time to do that. We want people to practice loading their animals in and out so they're used to that.

The same goes for your dogs and cats. Some dogs never go in a crate. Some cats never go in a crate. When you're getting ready and running around your house, your dog's probably going to be right there with you. Your cat's going to go hide under the bed, in a closet or in a drawer.

KRCB: If you could dump out your ideal emergency kit right here on this table, what would you put in it?

WHIPPLE: All your vaccination records, your medical history, any medications your pet is on — have some of that ready to go. A contact list for friends, family and anyone else who can help take your animal. Collapsible, reusable bowls so you have something to put food and water in.

Food and water are perishable, so you want to replace those as needed. Having those types of supplies is going to make your life a lot easier. It's just like your personal go bag. You have all of the things you need in your life. It's the same exact thing you want to do for your pets. There are lists and information that we can provide that give you that guidance as well. Our website has some of that information.

KRCB: You've been in this career for a very long time. What is the biggest mistake you've seen time and time again when people evacuate with pets?

WHIPPLE: Not going early. That's always the biggest thing in my mind. Even if you don't end up having to evacuate, it's better to go before you have to.

That's the biggest key to being successful in an evacuation: having everything ready, knowing what to do and having practiced it before so it's not something new you've never done before.

KRCB: Is there anything else you want to add? If you were speaking directly to pet owners and animal owners in Sonoma County, what would you say?

WHIPPLE: Microchip your pets. That is one of the best ways for us to be able to reunite you with your pet. You can even microchip your horses and your other types of small livestock.