WTVY Hurricane Center -> Be Prepared -> Protecting Pets & Livestock
Protecting Your Pets
Preparing Before the Storm Hits
If You Evacuate With Your Pet

If You Don’t Evacuate
If You Must Leave Your Pet
After the Storm

Livestock & Farm Animals
Lessons From Past Hurricanes:

Debris caused the most severe injuries...
Before hurricane season begins...
- Make sure all animals have current immunizations and coggins test.
- Locate safe areas within your county and make arrangements now to move your animals to that location.
- Develop a specific Disaster Plan including evacuation and rescue plans for your property...Start with the farthest point of your property and move toward the house, listing all the things that need to be done.
- Install a hand pump on your well. You will never make a better investment. Well water will not become contaminated unless your well is submerged by flood waters.
- Prepare an Evacuation kit
- Medical history/conditions
- Have copies of proof of ownership
- List animals and their species, breed, age, sex, color and characteristics
- Current photographs of animal
- Emergency contact list
- 3-7 day supply food, hoof pick, leg wraps, halters, leads, twitch, water buckets, map of local are and alternate routes, rope or lariat, radio, trash cans for water.
- Know Food and Water Requirements for Your Animals
- Create an Animal Identification System
- ID leg bands
- Attach luggage tag to halter or braid into mane or tail
- Body clip phone number
- Livestock marking crayon/spray paint
- Ear tags, tattoos, branding
- Permanent marker to hooves
- Mane clip
- TAKE A PICTURE!
- Have a list of Emergency Contacts
- Purchase mobile home tie downs for your livestock trailer and other vehicles. They cost about $6.00 each.
When a Hurricane Enters the Gulf
- Even if you are not in an area subject to flooding, you may want to consider evacuating your horses if they are maintained in stables or pastures, of less than one acre, because this will not be enough area for them to avoid debris and collapsing buildings.
- If you decide you must evacuate -- Do not try to evacuate with your livestock trailer, unless there is sufficient time!
- If you cannot be on the road 72 hours before the storm is due to hit, you could be easily caught in traffic and high winds. Traffic on the highways will be moving very slowly, if at all. A livestock trailer is a very unstable vehicle in high winds, and high winds will arrive 8-10 hours or more before the storm hits. Remember, a fire engine loaded with water is a very stable emergency vehicle and it is considered out of service when sustained winds reach 40 mph.
- The safest place for large animals to weather a storm is in a large pasture. The pasture should meet as many of the following guidelines as possible:
- It should be free of exotic trees.
- No overhead power lines.
- It should be well away from areas that might generate wind driven debris.
- It should have both low areas that animals can shelter in during the storm (preferably a pond) and higher areas that will not be flooded after the storm.
- Should have woven wire fencing.
- Scout your property and barn structures– where are your animals the safest? Check the condition of the barn including the roof., if the barn is not safe consider open fields but check for location of power lines and number of trees. Further, check your fence rows for weak areas or if trees can fall on your fence line allowing animals to escape. Take steps to secure your fence if needed. Remove any poisonous plants and trees, trees that have fallen or flooded areas may force animals to nibble on other forages they may not normally eat that can be toxic to them.
- Pick up all debris/limbs from pastures and around home– objects such as tree limbs and jumps can become flying objects and injure animals.
- Move vehicles, livestock trailers, etc., into the middle of the largest open area away from trees and tie them down.
- Have a box filled with halters, leads, tapes, ropes, tarps and plastic. Keep this box stored inside your home.
- Fill any large, outside vessels (row boats, canoes, feed troughs, dumpsters, etc.) with water. This keeps vessels from becoming debris and provides a source of water for animals, after the storm.
- Place a First-aid kit in a central location
- Wound ointment, saline solution
- Eye ointment (wash)
- Bandages, scissors, tape, cotton rolls, vet wrap
- Peroxide, 1% iodine wound
- Mineral oil, Pepto-Bismol
- Tweezers, towel/washcloth/latex gloves, thermometer
- All medications, Bute, linoment ointment
- Fly spray
- Emergency barn kit– Chainsaw, fuel, chain lubricant, saw, hammers, nails, screws, duct tape, screwdrivers, fencing materials, tarps, flashlights, batteries, ladder– Place kit in a secure area before the storm
- Leave extra buckets of water– you may be gone longer than 24 hrs or farm is inaccessible
- Leave supply of hay
- Before leaving the farm, attach identification to animals
- Have a destination and at least two routes thought out in advance (remember everyone else is leaving at same time and it can become more stressful if transporting livestock)
- Turn off circuit breakers to the barn and shut off well
- Arrange transportation of livestock in advance if not transporting your self
- Have temporary fencing on hand and in plain sight (in case emergency workers have to secure animals etc.)
- Label and secure any hazardous material containers that may be on your property.
- A two week supply of animal feed and medications should be brought into your house and stored in waterproof containers.

After the Storm
