A recent survey of pet owners who had to evacuate their homes in a disaster showed nearly half had left at least one pet behind, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security has tips on how to include your pet in family disaster preparedness plans.

“For many Illinoisans, pets are a part of their family. We encourage everyone to have a pet preparedness plan and be prepared for sheltering in place or evacuating with your pets,” IEMA-OHS Director Theodore Berger said in a news release.

Actions to take to keep pets safe in a disaster:

• Have a photo of you and your pets handy for identification purposes.
• Save a copy of pet medical records.
• Keep leashes, harnesses, and carriers handy.
• Create a pet preparedness kit with medications, non-perishable food and treats, water, bowls, cat litter and pan, waste bags, a familiar blanket, bedding for pocket/exotic pets (and perhaps a heat source) and toys.
• Identify a safe area of your home where all can stay together with supplies during a shelter-in-place recommendation.
• Coordinate with a neighbor, family or friend about collecting pets and their preparedness kit if you are away from home, along with a meeting point where you can reunify.
• Don’t allow pets to roam loose in a damaged home or neighborhood.
• Many shelters or other emergency centers do not allow pets because of health and safety concerns, so it is critical that you plan ahead for your pets’ care.

More tips on pet preparedness information can be found at ready.illinois.gov/plan/animals.html.

Disaster preparedness information is readily available from IEMA-OHS on the Ready Illinois website, a resource for detailed information about what to do before, during, and after disasters.