Are you ready?

As I listened to the tornado warnings on the TV not long ago, I wondered what I would do if the tornado that had just hit a community not far away, was on my doorstep.  What plans had I made for emergencies and my skyes? How would I get them to safety?  Could I get them to safety with my vehicle alone?  Was I ready?

Since then I have talked to many breeders and am amazed how few of us are prepared for emergencies.  Many said that they had thought about it, but haven't done anything yet. What if something happened to you? Who would take care of your dogs? Have you thought about it? Have you done more then that and actually have something in writing? If you have, I find that you might be in the minority.

In the past few years we have seen many natural and manmade disasters that have caused pet owners heartache and loss.  It may be that careful planning ahead of time could help us through these times of pain and loss.  To start with, would you be able to transport you dogs away from the area? Do you have enough crates? Would they fit in your car or a friend's? I have a friend who, when purchasing a new car, made sure that she could fit in all of her dogs if need be and had enough crates for them.  She is way ahead of most of us.

Each of us that compete in the show ring, or own multiple dogs, can recall events that have changed either our own lives or those of our fellow dog lovers. Think about the breeder who was digging in her yard to put in a new fence and hit an electrical cable. Or the breeder who left very early one morning for a show, was in a traffic accident and is still in a coma.  We spend so much time planning our trips and breeding program, it only stands to reason that we spend some time to make sure that they are well taken care of if something were to happen.

Here are a few possible areas that may need work.  I hope that you will add some of your own.

* Write a will and a living will.  Contact family and friends and discuss with them what to do if something should happen to you. And then put pen to papar. Don't put this off! It is amazing what peace you will feel knowing that your skyes will be taken care of.

* Where are your dogs housed?  Is there a second exit? How would you get them out in case of fire?  Flood?  Earthquake?

* Live on the second floor?  Have a safety ladder? Harness for the dogs?  Know the quickest way out?  Ever thought about it?

* Set aside some funds for the care of your dogs until they get settled or to use if you have to move them to another location for a while.  Treat it like a special "Christmas Club" account.

* Keep a little vacation time saved up for emergencies.

* Find the safest part of your house and have provisions and crates there for the dogs

* Near a river that might flood? Find a location ahead of time that you could take your dogs to, just in case.

* Live on a coast where hurricanes are a possibility?  Decide on an inland location where you could go to ground (so to speak).

Hopefully I have just started the ball rolling and your mind is already working out different possibilities.  Good, that is what I really wanted to do.  Now make sure that you do something about it.  Put pen to paper and when the unexpected happens, you will be ready.