Prepare furry friends for crisis, tooPets are members of the family for many households, but if a disaster strikes many Wanganui pet owners may not have prepared for their furry friends.
The SPCA would only be able to care for a limited number of animals during a disaster, so pet-owners should plan ahead.
Wanganui SPCA centre manager Val Waters said we could all be a bit complacent when it came to getting prepared.
Ms Waters, who has six dogs, said the centre didn't have endless space to house animals in the event of a disaster.
"At the end of the day, we have limited capacity, but we foresee that a lot of people would come forward to help out and foster animals," Ms Waters said.
Cats would be likely to run away if something happened.
"People should have cages ready for their cats to get away," she said.
Taking your pet's vaccination records and medications with you is important.
"The main thing is for people to be prepared," Ms Waters said.
Like their owners, pets should have blankets and emergency food ready for a disaster.
The Wanganui District Council website also suggests that pet owners remember to have a lead and muzzle as part of their pet's emergency getaway kit.
Permanent discs should be attached to pets' collars that clearly state name, phone number and address, and microchipping for pets is also recommended.
Civil Defence manager Max Benseman said although the council had arrangements with animal control and local vets
"It comes down to everyone's family emergency plans. Be prepared and make your own plans".
"The district struggles to cope with its 7000 or 8000 dogs as it is, without them all running around in a disaster."
Guide dogs nationwide will be provided with special tags in the next few months to help identify them in the event of a disaster.
Storing enough food and water for your pets, as well as your family, to survive on for at least three days is important.
Aramoho mother-of-four Lisa Drysdale had overlooked preparing for her two dogs, Mac and KC, in her plans.
"We've got enough food and water for us if something happened, but I hadn't thought about keeping water for the dogs, too," Ms Drysdale said.
The dogs were part of the family and her children would be devastated if anything happened to them, she said.
Both dogs wore registration tags on their collars and the youngest dog was microchipped.
If the family of six had to leave their home with the dogs, finding somewhere for them all to stay would not be a problem.
"They wouldn't be left behind. We have lots of friends and family that would be happy for them to stay," Ms Drysdale said.