Wildfire Preparedness for Pets of All Sizes and Barnyard Animals

You play an important role in helping your pets stay safe in a wildfire. Your evacuation plan should include every animal in your care. Small pets, large pets, and farm animals all take extra time to gather, secure, and transport, so it’s best to always be prepared.

Remember: Take your animals with you when it is safe, but never delay your evacuation or put yourself in danger while searching for or loading an animal.

Prepare Your Pets Now

Keep identification current

Make it easier to reunite with a lost pet:

• Microchip your pet and keep the registration information current.
• Use a secure collar with an identification tag when appropriate.
• Include your phone number and an out-of-area contact.
• Keep licenses and rabies tags current.
• Take recent photos of each pet, including a photo of you together.
• Keep copies of identification, ownership, vaccination, and medical records in your evacuation kit and in a secure digital location.

Arrange backup help

Ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative to help if an evacuation happens while you are away.

Your backup person should know:

• Where your pets and evacuation supplies are located
• How to enter your home
• How to safely handle and transport each animal
• How to contact you
• Where you plan to meet or shelter
• Choose at least one alternate person in case your primary contact is unavailable.

Practice using carriers

Pets may hide or resist handling when frightened. Help them become comfortable with their carriers before an emergency.

Keep a labeled carrier, crate, cage, or other secure enclosure ready for each pet. Practice calling pets indoors, putting on leashes or harnesses, placing them in carriers, and loading them into your vehicle. For birds and other small animals, make sure cages and carrier doors latch securely.

Build a Pet Evacuation Kit

Store your kit in a dry, easy-to-reach location. Use a container that can be quickly loaded into your vehicle and is light enough to carry. The kit should include:

Medications and records

• Essential medications, when possible
• Written medication names and dosages
• Vaccination and medical records
• Information about allergies, disabilities, dietary needs, or behavior
• Microchip and license information
• Ownership records
• Recent photos of each pet
• Basic pet first-aid supplies recommended by your veterinarian

Transportation and handling

• Carrier, crate, cage, or secure enclosure for each pet
• Leashes, collars, and harnesses
• Identification tags
• Towels and protective gloves for handling frightened animals
• A properly fitted muzzle, if your pet uses one

Important contacts

Keep a physical/printed list in case phone or internet service is unavailable:

• Your veterinarian
• An emergency veterinary hospital
• Friends or relatives who can shelter your pets
• Members of your neighborhood pet buddy system
• Marin Humane
• Boarding facilities
• Pet-friendly hotels/motels

Food and daily care

• Three to seven days of food and water
• Food and water bowls
• Manual can opener, if needed
• Treats
• Cat litter, litter box, and scoop
• Waste bags
• Bedding, towels, or a familiar comfort item
• Paper towels, trash bags, disinfectant, and hand sanitizer

Important upkeep: Label medications and supplies with the animal’s name. Check your pet’s kit regularly and replace expired items, including food and medications.

Plan Where You Will Go

Do not assume every evacuation shelter or hotel can accommodate every animal.

Before wildfire season:

• Identify friends or relatives who could host you and your pets.
• Find several pet-friendly hotels outside your immediate area.
• Ask veterinarians and boarding facilities about emergency arrangements.
• Plan for the specific needs of birds, rabbits, reptiles, and other small animals.
• Keep more than one destination in mind.

During an emergency, follow current instructions from Marin County and emergency officials. Animal sheltering locations and policies may vary by incident.

When a Wildfire Is Nearby

Begin preparing before an evacuation order is issued:

• Bring pets indoors.
• Keep animals that may hide in a closed, easy-to-access room.
• Put identification tags, collars, and harnesses on pets when appropriate.
• Place carriers, leashes, medications, and evacuation kits near your vehicle.
• Keep your vehicle fueled.
• Monitor official emergency information.
• Leave when an evacuation warning is issued or earlier if you feel unsafe.

Sign up for AlertMarin to receive location-specific emergency alerts and evacuation instructions.

When You Evacuate

• Take your pets with you whenever it is safe.
• Secure pets before opening exterior doors.
• Place cats, birds, rabbits, and other small animals in appropriate carriers.
• Keep dogs leashed, harnessed, or secured in crates.
• Secure carriers and animals inside the vehicle.
• Bring your evacuation kit and important records.
• Follow official evacuation routes and instructions.
• Tell your emergency contact where you are going.

Never delay leaving to search for a missing pet if staying places you in danger. Tell emergency personnel or Marin Humane where the animal was last seen and provide a description.

If Your Pet Is Missing

Once it is safe to do so, you should:

• Report the missing pet to Marin Humane.
• Check animal shelters and their online listings.
• Share a clear photo and description.
• Include when and where the pet was last seen.
• Notify neighbors and your veterinarian.
• Check community networks and social media.
• Continue checking shelters and searching nearby areas. Frightened animals may remain hidden for days.
• Do not enter a closed evacuation area without authorization.

If you find a lost animal, contact Marin Humane. Use caution because frightened or injured animals may behave unpredictably.

Birds and Small Animals

Different animals have different transportation needs.

Birds: Use a secure travel cage or carrier. Bring food, water, cage liners, and medications. Protect birds from smoke, drafts, and extreme temperatures.

Rabbits and other small mammals: Use a secure, well-ventilated carrier. Bring bedding, food, water, and sanitation supplies.

Reptiles and amphibians: Use an escape-resistant, ventilated container. Plan ahead for safe temperature and humidity control.

Fish: Moving an aquarium during a fast evacuation may not be possible. Ask an aquarium professional or veterinarian ahead of time about transport containers, water quality, oxygen, and temperature needs. During a wildfire, never put yourself in danger attempting to move an enclosure or aquarium.

Horses and Farm Animals

Horses and livestock require more time, equipment, and transportation than household pets. Prepare and practice before wildfire season.

Prepare an evacuation kit

Some possible necessities:

• Halters and lead ropes
• Feed, water, and buckets
• Medications and medical records
• Identification and ownership information
• First-aid supplies recommended by your veterinarian
• Recent photos
• Handling and temporary containment equipment

Plan transportation

• Maintain enough trailer capacity for your animals.
• Keep vehicles fueled and trailers ready.
• Practice loading each animal before an emergency.
• Make sure more than one person can safely load and handle them.
• Arrange backup transportation with neighbors, friends, commercial haulers, or animal-response organizations.
• Leave early! Do not wait until an evacuation order to begin gathering and loading.

Identify your animals

Use permanent identification, such as a registered microchip or brand, when appropriate. Prepare a temporary identification method for emergencies, such as:

• Livestock crayon
• A temporary neck band
• A tag safely attached to a halter
• Contact information braided securely into a horse’s mane
• Include your name and more than one phone number.

Practice your evacuation routes

Drive each potential route with your animal trailer and look for:

• Narrow roads or tight turns
• Low branches
• Steep grades
• Height or weight restrictions
• Locked gates
• Limited turnaround space
• Locations where a disabled trailer could block traffic
• Know more than one way out whenever possible

If you cannot evacuate an animal

Your safety comes first. Do not remain in a dangerous area or block evacuation routes while trying to load an animal.

The safest option depends on the animal, property, available containment, and wildfire conditions. Develop a site-specific plan before an emergency with Marin Humane, your veterinarian, local fire officials, or an experienced large-animal emergency organization.

Helpful Resources