The wettest months in the Fraser Valley run from October through winter, and East Abbotsford knows how fast a storm can close roads and cut power. A pet emergency plan takes an hour: identification that is current, carriers that fit, a grab bag by the door, copies of records, and a decision about where you would go.
Why an hour now is worth it
The November 2021 floods on Sumas Prairie changed how people here think about a rainy forecast. Roads closed, the highway shut, power went out in places, and families had very little notice. Two questions are worth answering while the sun is out: how would I move every animal I own, and where would we go?
Most autumns will pass without an evacuation alert. The plan still earns its keep during an ordinary windstorm, because the same bag covers a two day power outage, a road closure that strands you in Chilliwack, or a tree through the fence.
Start with identification, because it is the part that fails
Identification matters as much as anything else in this article. Doors get left open, fences come down, frightened animals bolt, and a dog who has never run off will run in the dark during a windstorm.
- Check that your pet’s microchip is registered to you at your current phone number. The chip is only useful if the database has details someone can actually reach. Our pet care services team can scan it at any visit to confirm it still reads. This is the single highest value ten minutes in this whole article, and it is easy for that number to go out of date without anyone noticing.
- Put a collar and tag on, including on cats who live indoors. An indoor cat who does get out carries no identification and has no street sense to fall back on.
- Take a clear photo of each pet on your phone this week, and one of you with them. It proves ownership and makes a lost pet poster a five minute job.
- Write down the details that identify them: breed, age, colour, markings, and anything unusual like a scar or a missing claw.
The grab bag
Keep it by the door you would actually leave through, not at the back of a closet. One bag per household plus a carrier for each cat.
- A carrier or crate for every animal, sized so they can stand and turn around
- Leash, harness and a spare, plus a slip lead that fits any dog
- Three to seven days of the food your pet actually eats, rotated so it stays fresh, and a manual can opener
- Bottled water and collapsible bowls
- A litter tray, litter and waste bags
- Towels, a blanket that smells like home, and a favourite toy
- Copies of vaccination history and any care instructions from us, in a sealed plastic bag
- A written list of anything your pet receives daily, with the exact product names
- A printed list of phone numbers, including ours and an out of area friend, because phones die
- A photo of each pet, printed
Vaccination history matters more than people expect. Boarding kennels, hotels and group shelters commonly ask for it before they will take an animal, and if you left in a hurry you will not be able to phone your veterinary hospital at two in the morning. If yours is out of date or you are not sure what your pet has had, our wellness program is the place to get it reviewed and printed before the weather turns.
Rehearse the part that goes wrong
Cats disappear the moment the house becomes unusual: suitcases out, voices raised, doors opening. The most common delay in a real evacuation is an owner on their knees trying to reach a cat under a bed.
- Leave carriers out and open now, with a blanket inside, so they stop being a signal that something bad is about to happen.
- Feed a few meals near or inside the carrier over the next couple of weeks.
- Know each cat’s hiding places and have a plan to close those rooms off early if a warning comes.
- Try actually carrying the crate with the dog in it, or loading the dog into the car, before you need to do it in the rain at night.
Where would you go?
Decide this in advance, because it narrows everything else. Ask a friend or relative outside the immediate area whether they could take you and your animals. Check which accommodation in the region accepts pets and keep the list in your phone. Assume that a group reception centre may not be able to take animals into the same space as people, and plan for what you would do if that is the case.
If you keep chickens, rabbits, horses or other animals on an acreage, plan for them separately and early. Trailers, halters and a destination cannot be arranged once a road is closed.
During a storm
- Bring pets in before it starts. Do not leave a dog in a yard with trees or loose panels in high wind.
- Set up an interior room away from windows, with water, a bed and the carrier open in the corner.
- Manage the noise. Close blinds, put on quiet background sound, and stay with them if you can. If your pet finds storms genuinely frightening, our guide to fireworks and thunderstorm noise phobia in dogs covers what helps in the moment and what is worth arranging in advance.
- Keep leashes on hand. If you have to open the door to an emergency worker, a lead already clipped on greatly reduces the chance of a pet bolting past you.
- Never leave a pet behind or tied up if you evacuate. Take them with you, and tell whoever is directing you that you have animals.
Power outages
An outage on an acreage often means no well pump, so store water for the animals as well as the family. Keep pets away from portable heaters, generators and their exhaust. Never run a generator indoors or in any garage, attached or detached, or in any other partly enclosed space: site it well away from the building with the exhaust directed away from doors and windows. Small pets in cages, along with fish tanks, lose their heat source quickly, so plan how you would keep them warm: blankets around the enclosure, a safe hot water bottle, and moving them to the warmest room.
After the water goes down
Floodwater leaves behind more than mud. It carries fuel, farm runoff, sewage and whatever was in the ditch, and it hides sharp debris. Keep dogs out of standing water and off the flooded ground until it has been cleaned up, rinse and dry paws and legs after any contact, and do not let pets drink from puddles.
Displaced wildlife turns up in odd places for a week or two afterward, fences are down, and familiar routes are not familiar. Watch for cuts, limping, stomach upset after drinking dirty water, or a pet who is simply not right. Anything along those lines should go through our urgent care rather than being watched for a few days.
Frequently asked questions
How much food should the emergency bag hold?
Three days is the usual minimum and a week is better, particularly if your pet eats a specific food that is not easy to buy in a hurry. Rotate it into their normal bowl every few months so it never goes stale and you never have to throw it out.
My cat is microchipped, so that is covered?
Only if the registration is current. A chip with an old phone number or a previous owner’s details on it makes reuniting far harder and slower. Check your registration this week and update it, and add a collar and tag as the backup that works without a scanner.
What do I do with animals I cannot fit in the car?
Plan it now rather than then. That may mean a neighbour with a trailer, a relative outside the valley, or an agreement with someone who can take part of your household. The answer is different for everyone, but it has to exist before the alert arrives.
Is it safe to walk my dog during a windstorm?
Keep it short, stay away from trees and power lines, and use a harness rather than a collar alone so a startled dog cannot back out of it. If the wind is bringing branches down, skip the walk entirely and do something indoors instead.
My dog drank from a flooded ditch. Should I be concerned?
Phone us and let us know. Standing floodwater carries bacteria and chemical runoff, and stomach upset, lethargy or a fever in the days afterward is worth an examination rather than a wait. Mention the water when you call, because it changes what we look for.
Where should the records live?
In two places: a paper copy in the grab bag and a photo of each page on your phone. Paper survives a dead battery and a photo survives a soaked bag.
Speak to the team at Alpha Animal Hospital
If you want your pet’s records printed or their identification details checked before the wet season, phone us and we will sort it out.
Published by the team at Alpha Animal Hospital.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for an in-person veterinary examination or advice about your individual pet. If you have an urgent concern about your pet, contact Alpha Animal Hospital or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital right away.
Alpha Animal Hospital
2362 Whatcom Rd, #125, Abbotsford, BC V3G 0C1
Phone: (604) 859-6322
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Sunday closed