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| The real Leo |
Today we welcome Janet MacPhail,
fifty-something animal photographer and amateur sleuth protagonist of Sheila
Webster Boneham’s Animals in Focus Mystery Series. With all the recent fires
and weather-related disasters that have hit various parts of the country this
past year, Janet is here to offer some tips on evacuating and protecting pets
during a disaster. Learn more about Janet and Sheila at Sheila’s website.
Are Your Pets Prepared for a
Disaster?
Hi! I’m Janet
MacPhail, animal photographer and devoted pet owner. You might know me from the
Animals in Focus Mystery series, which has been chronicling some of my
misadventures of late (a little too many, if you ask me). Anyway, Anastasia
asked me to drop by and talk about keeping pets safe when disaster strikes.
Disaster is
something we’d all just as soon not deal with of course, but that’s no reason
not to plan ahead. I know I wouldn’t evacuate without Jay, my Australian
Shepherd, and Leo, my orange tabby. I live in northern Indiana, a mostly benign
and lovely place that occasionally gets whacked by blizzards, tornados, and flooding.
You may live with different possibilities. And of course we all hope never to
deal with a house fire or other accidental or man-made hazard, but we also know
they happen. So I thought I would tell you what I’ve done to increase the
chances that my animals and I will all come through any of the above safe and
sound. I mean, crafty killers are bad enough, right, Anastasia?
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| The real Jay |
One thing
that always worries me is what would happen to Jay and Leo if there were a
disaster when I’m not home. Not that I leave them alone that much, but still….
So I have little signs posted by my front and back doors (and I made sure my
boyfriend did the same). Stickers for that purpose are available from many
vets, shelters, and other sources, or you can make one yourself. When Jay first
joined my family, I crated him when I was out, so I included that information
on my signs. I also note where Leo’s carrier is kept, where he likes to nap, and
where their leashes hang. That way if someone had to get them quickly, they’d
have everything they needed.
I also keep
a list of names and phone numbers of a couple of people who would take them in
a pinch. My neighbor, Goldie, for sure—if she’s home. My brother and his
partner. I’ve even arranged with my vet to pay the bill if someone drops them
off there. I signed a boarding and medical care authorization form, and I got a
copy to keep in my evacuation kit (I’ll get to that in a minute).
My guys are
used to being in the car and around strangers, but I still think a secure crate
for each of them is essential. I mean, crates can keep them safely confined in
a chaotic situation. They both wear tags for easy reference, and they have
microchips implanted by my vet for more permanent identification. (I have those
scanned whenever they go to the vet for something else, to be sure they’re
still active.)
I have a
waterproof box with Pet Evacuation Kit painted on the side, and I keep it on
the storage shelf in my front closet. Here’s what’s in it:
∙ A list of phone numbers—mine, my two best friends’, my brother’s, my
veterinarian’s.
∙ Copies of each animal’s rabies certificate and vaccination records.
∙ Proof of ownership so that if someone else rescues my boys, I can show
that they are, in fact, mine–license registrations, microchip numbers, and
photographs.
∙ If anything happened to me, I would want whoever took in my guys to
know as much as possible, so I have a data sheet for each including his name,
description, sex, age, feeding instructions, health-care needs, and a recent
color photo.
∙ A week’s supply of dry food sealed in air-tight bags, and a couple of
bottles of water. I rotate food and water once a month to keep everything
fresh.
∙ Enough cash to pay for boarding the boys for at least three days. This
wouldn’t be a problem with my vet, but who else will extend me credit if they
don’t know me and I have no plastic on me? And cash can be hard to get at
during a crisis.
So there
you have it. I hope you never have to live through a disaster of any kind, but
if you’re like me, you’ll feel better knowing you have a good chance of getting
your pets to safety along with the rest of your family, come what may. Be safe!
The Money Bird
Animal
photographer Janet MacPhail knows that trouble is in the air when Labrador
Retriever Drake fetches a blood-soaked bag holding an exotic feather and a torn
one-hundred-dollar bill during a photo shoot at Twisted Lake. One of Janet's
photography students reports seeing a strange bird at the lake, but he turns up
dead before Janet can talk to him. When she learns that the mysterious retreat
center near the lake is housing large numbers of tropical birds, Janet is sure
there's a connection and decides to investigate between dog-training classes,
photo assignments, and visits to her mom at Shadetree Retirement. With help
from her Australian Shepherd Jay and her quirky friend Goldie, Janet is
determined to get to the bottom of things before another victim's wings are
clipped for good.
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