Pet Preparedness

Prepare your pets for emergencies

Include your animals in your household emergency plan. Arrange transportation, identify safe places to stay and keep supplies ready so you can leave together when an evacuation is needed.

Local animal-services contacts

Animal rescue and control: Contact Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA at 650-340-8200 for animal rescue and control assistance.
Lost pets and general shelter information: Call 650-340-7022 or review Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA's lost-pet guidance .
Local service referrals during a disaster: Call 211 or visit 211 Bay Area.

Keep your veterinarian's number and an emergency veterinary hospital's contact information in your phone and printed plan. For an immediate threat to human life, call 911.

Find current emergency pet-sheltering information

Shelter locations, animal accommodations and available space depend on the emergency. A regular animal shelter is not automatically an activated disaster shelter.

Follow SMC Alert, the City website and official City social media channels for incident-specific announcements.
Check San Mateo County emergency updates and contact Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA or 211 for available information and referrals.
Before traveling, confirm the location is open, which animals it accepts, whether space is available and what supplies to bring. Ask whether pets stay with their households or in a separate animal-care area.

Do not delay an ordered evacuation while searching for the ideal accommodation. Follow officials' directions and tell shelter staff about your animals when you arrive.

Pets and service animals have different access rules

Pets: Acceptance varies by shelter or hotel. Identify pet-friendly options in advance and confirm current arrangements during an emergency.

Service animals: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are dogs individually trained to perform disability-related work or tasks. They generally may accompany their handlers in emergency shelters, including areas where pets are not permitted. Separate ADA provisions address trained miniature horses.

Emotional support or comfort alone does not make an animal a service animal under the ADA. Other laws may provide additional protections. Ask about the accommodations that apply to your situation.

Review official ADA service-animal guidance . Include food, water, medications and care supplies for service animals in your emergency plan.

Make an evacuation and care plan

Identify relatives, friends, boarding facilities or hotels outside your immediate area that can accommodate your animals. Keep a backup option.
Arrange transportation for every animal, including suitable carriers, crates or trailers.
Ask a trusted neighbor, friend or relative to help care for or evacuate your pets if you are away. Agree on access and handling instructions.
Keep identification tags and microchip registration details current. Include an alternate emergency contact.
Practice loading animals into carriers or vehicles. Plan extra time for animals that are difficult to move.
For livestock, birds, reptiles or other animals with specialized needs, arrange suitable transport and housing before an emergency.

Find your evacuation zone and review Ready, Set, Go guidance . Leave early when you need extra time to move animals.

Pack a pet emergency kit

Keep supplies in an accessible container and review them regularly. Include:

Several days of food and water for each animal, plus bowls.
Medications and your veterinarian's care instructions.
A pet first-aid kit.
A collar with identification, harness and leash.
A secure, appropriately sized carrier or crate.
Waste bags, litter and other sanitation supplies.
Copies of vaccination records, microchip information and veterinary contacts.
Recent photographs of each animal, including a photograph of you together to help with identification.
Familiar bedding or a toy to help reduce stress.

During and after an emergency

Take your pets when evacuating whenever you can do so safely. Keep them secured in carriers or on leashes.
Follow evacuation directions. Do not enter a closed or dangerous area to retrieve an animal; contact animal rescue and control for assistance.
Keep animals away from floodwater, debris, downed power lines and unfamiliar hazards.
Watch for injuries, illness or unusual behavior and contact a veterinarian when needed.
If separated, promptly report your missing pet to Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and follow its lost-pet instructions.

For additional planning guidance, visit Ready.gov: prepare your pets for disasters .

Together we are MenloPrepared.