023: How to Prepare for Disaster: Our Pets, Livestock, and Animal Companions with Julie Atwood

How to Disaster

“For every animal we rescue during an incident, we are all together going to save hundreds and thousands through education and preparedness.” -Julie Atwood

Episode Description:

When an emergency strikes, we all want to do our best to take care of each other and our homes. But sometimes, the victims of a disaster are not humans—they're our beloved animals.

Our pets, livestock, and animal companions are part of our family, and losing them in a disaster is painfully devastating. But in an emergency, it can be hard to keep track of what's happening and what you need to do. There is no time for anything during a wildfire. We may only have minutes to get out of the house and into safety before the fire engulfs it completely.

So, how can we make sure that our animal companions are taken care of during a disaster?

In this episode, Jennifer sits with Horses and Livestock Team Emergency Rescue/HALTER Project founder, Julie Atwood. Julie started the HALTER Project in 2013 to provide local communities across the US with the resources they need to ensure the welfare of their animals during emergencies.

Listen in as Jennifer and Julie share how to determine what we need and how much we need in terms of food, water, medication, sanitation, and documentation— both for us and our pets, how to plan for evacuation with our animals during the pandemic, and how to ensure the safety of our animals if we have no choice but to leave them during evacuation. They also discuss why we should set multiple plans in place in case of an emergency, how to failsafe everything in a disaster, and how to prepare for communication fails.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:27: When There’s Nowhere to Go

11:17: Why Have Multiple Plans in Place

24:26: What You Need and How Much You Need

32:02: Evacuating with Your Animals During a Pandemic

36:49: Taking Care of Your Livestock and Large Animals

49:14: Preparing for Communication Fails

57:50: Know the Warning Signs

01:07:20: The Odin Story