Prepare Your Pets and Livestock: Severe weather events

Don't forget your pets and livestock during severe weather events! Whether it's a bushfire, flood or cyclone, we experience it all in Queensland. Being prepared and including your animals in your emergency plans is essential.

Queensland's local council websites include disaster dashboards providing important information to support local communities during and after disaster events. Find your local council disaster dashboard.

Get Ready Queensland have some great tips on understanding your risks and putting a plan together:

• Understand your risk
• Prepare your emergency and evacuation plan
• Plan your pet safety kit

If you don’t already have one, now is the time to have a Pet Emergency Action Plan. This includes a handy checklist you can keep on the fridge to prepare your pets. Ensure you have enough food, water, medication, identification, bedding, toys, carriers and leads on hand and cleaning supplies available.

Preparing your property:

• Create a safe and secure space for all of your animals
• Don't tether pets outside if possible - they may do themselves more harm trying to break free
• Provide plenty of access to water and food in heavy bowls if outdoors
• Keep cats indoors

For bushfire threats:

• Ensure you have enough feed in storage for your livestock
• Check your water tanks and fill them up
• Keep water sources fresh for animals and away from direct sunlight if you can
• Put in fire breaks at your property
• Consider reducing your herd

It's not just pets and livestock that can be impacted by dry, hot conditions. This is how drought can impact our wildlife - animal rescues in recent years. You can do your bit by leaving out containers of water for wildlife. Just make sure to frequently change the water, leave containers out of direct sun, and put rocks/sticks that can be used as perches for wildlife to get back out of water sources.

Act early and move livestock to safer areas 

• Know how you will transport all your animals if needed. 
• Ensure you have suitable yards, loading facilities, and vehicles ready. 
• Talk to your neighbours and other livestock owners who can assist in moving large numbers of animals to safe properties. 
• Avoid transporting livestock during active emergencies. 
• Call your Council to find animal evacuation centres taking large animals, usually at showground facilities, and plan ahead your travel route. 

If you have livestock remaining at your property, ensure they have shelter, space for each animal, and appropriate shelter from the weather. Attach identification tags to your animals with a contact number securely to the mane of horses or other livestock. These tags should be prepared in advance and kept in your animal emergency kit. 

It is vital to stay informed and know when to act in an emergency. Keep an eye on your local government websites and weather warnings.

• Queensland Fire Department have the most update information about current bushfire warnings with advice on when to act.
• Queensland's local council websites include disaster dashboards which provide important information to support local communities during and after disaster events. Find your local council.
• Australia has a national warning system to advise the public about all types of disasters. Learn more about the Australian warning system.
• Emergency SMS Alerts: during a disaster you may receive a warning to your mobile phone. For more information about this service, visit Emergency Alert.

Have a plan in place with your friends and family if you do need to evacuate. If you can't find safe accommodation with your pets, the following centres accept animals. Please refer to the council dashboard for up-to-date information.

• Follow the on-site instructions at the evacuation centre and always keep pets in crates or on a lead. To reduce stress for your animals and others, keep them away from others in the evacuation centre. You will be required to stay with your animals on-site.
• Make sure your animals and livestock have proper identification, such as a microchip or identification tags.
• Handy tip: you can tie luggage tags to your horse’s halter displaying the horse’s name, owner’s name, and contact number for easy identification.
• Take a sheet, blankets or towels to cover your pet’s crate at the evacuation centre so they feel at home. You should also stick to your pet’s usual diet and regular feeding routine to minimise stress and prevent digestive issues.
• If your pet is unwell, contact your local vet and inform site staff of your concerns and also let them know if your animals aren’t vaccinated.
• Avoid sharing water sources between your horse or livestock and other animals to reduce the risk of illness.

• If you've found an injured or sick wildlife, contact the RSPCA 1300 ANIMAL Hotline (1300 264 625). Our Team can offer advice over the phone from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week and respond with an RSPCA Rescue Unit if available and in your area.
• You can also contact your nearest wildlife carer, or where safe to do so, transport the animal to your nearest vet. Read about keeping a wildlife kit in your car.
• Animals will likely be in shock and distress following severe weather events, don't put yourself in harm's way to rescue them if it is not safe to do so.
• If you can easily contain smaller injured animals, keep them secure until help arrives, or take them to your local vet.
• Watch the roads! After natural disasters displaced animals may turn up in odd places seeking refuge. Here are more tips for driving safely with wildlife around.
• Keep your pets inside or secure at dawn and dusk when a lot of native animals are out and about.
• Learn about pouch checking deceased wildlife.

During severe weather events, animals may become displaced or lost when homes, sheds and fences are damaged or destroyed.

Lost animals should be returned to their home property or correct ownership as soon as possible and appropriate care and treatment for any disease or injury provided.

• SES can assist pets and their owners that need rescuing on 132 500.
• For sick or injured pets contact your local veterinarian.
• For lost and found companion animals, contact our RSPCA Qld Lost and Found team on 1300 363 736 and contact your local Council.
• If you notice displaced livestock in need of rescue, contact QFES and your local council.
• For all other matters, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.