Disaster Preparedness for Pets

With warmer weather quickly approaching and as we enter a season in Colorado that typically experiences an increase in natural disasters, including fires, Foothills Animal Shelter wants to help pet owners in Jefferson County that may experience these emergencies.

Below are some reminders and tips to ensure your pets are prepared should you need to evacuate your home.

Know where to go

Arrange a safe place for you and your pets to go with family or friends ahead of a disaster should you need to evacuate. If you do not have a place to go that can accept your pets, Foothills Animal Shelter provides temporary placement for pets whose owners are facing evacuations in Jefferson County. Pets will receive a warm kennel, nutritious food, and a safe place to sleep free of charge, allowing families to get to safety and have a safe place for their pets in their time of need. Large animals, like horses, can be brought to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

Foothills Animal Shelter is located at 580 McIntyre St in Golden.

Be prepared

It’s wise to prepare an emergency kit for your pet to ensure you are ready for an evacuation. This will allow you to grab your pet and your supplies and get to safety as quickly as possible. In this kit, we recommend having:

• Leashes and collars. It is important to ensure your pet’s tags, licensing, and microchip are up to date in case they go missing, this will help them be reconnected with you more quickly.
• A carrier for cats and smaller pets.
• A week’s worth of food (be sure to rotate this out based on the item’s expiration date).
• Kitty litter and a litter box. ( some cat litters are much better than others, so be sure to buy the best one)
• Pet feeding dishes.
• Fresh, sealed water.
• Copies of their veterinary record and a list of any medications.
• Toys and bedding.
• Recent photos of your pets in case you are separated.

What should I do if I am not home to get my pets when my area evacuates?

As tempting as it might be, never enter an evacuated area for your safety. If you cannot pick up your pets, please contact the animal control in your area to assist in removing your pet safely from your home. A list of animal control agencies in Jefferson County can be found here.

How do I know if my area is being evacuated?

Often, emergency services will perform door-door evacuations, but it is essential to know when your area might face an evacuation ahead of an urgent situation. To stay up to date on these notifications, you can sign up for alerts in Jefferson County here. Also, social media can be a great tool for current, quickly changing information. Follow Jefferson County and Foothills Animal Shelter for updates. Finally, the media will help spread information about areas that may need to be evacuated.

Foothills Animal Shelter is proud to be a resource for the people and pets in our community. Our emergency pet sheltering programs would not be possible without support from our generous community of Good Humans. You can help animals and their owners by donating to the Animal Relief Fund during these challenging times.