Woops! Sure Didn’t Expect This!
Let’s talk about unexpected emergencies that come up in our lives, like hospital stays from an illness or accident, death in the family that requires last-minute travel to attend services, etc. No one is immune. This subject hit my radar this weekend when I ended up in the emergency room myself. It was a horrible experience … and unexpected. But, thanks to my having planned ahead, my pets were safe and sound at home the whole time I was away.
Have I Prepared? 
When you have to leave home suddenly for a totally unexpected emergency situation, do you have preparations already in place for your pets back at home? Often we barely have time to grab our car keys before we have to rush off. So it becomes prudent, even critical, to have preparations for your pets’ needs ready and already in place.
Make it a non-negotiable part of your daily routine to be certain your pets’ water bowls are clean and filled to the brim with fresh water. Be sure their food dishes also are filled with fresh, ample, dry food. It’s even best to add a whole additional feeding station (water and food both) to support them for several days should an unexpected emergency take you away from home and not returning right away.
Don’t make the fatal mistake of thinking emergencies will never happen to you. Always be prepared.
The Thoughtful Extra Details.
As I lurched toward the door to head off to the emergency room, my last thought was of Bandit, my little dog. Bandit suffers mild separation anxiety, and I knew he would be upset by this frantic disruption of our schedule and my being gone through the night and next day.
So I quickly tossed my pajama top onto Bandit’s bed. The top already had my scent on it, so he curled right up on it and slept at ease. I was able to watch him on my video surveillance app through the night from the hospital, and was relieved and grateful to watch him being comforted by that little last-minute detail as I ran out the door.
So Grateful It Was Already All In Place.
While I was languishing in the emergency room for hours and hours through the night and the following day, the last thing I had to agonize over was whether my pets were suffering without food and water, and frightened by my sudden disappearance. It also helped tremendously knowing that I had a petsitter on standby to come give my pets medications should they have needed any.
Never underestimate the importance of having all these things set in place ahead of time. You’ll be better able to focus on the emergency at hand because you know your pets are safe and sound till you return back home. It’s all just part of how we love them.
Remember — love is more than just warm fuzzies — it’s how well we care for them.
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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!
With love and good wishes,
jeannie. ?
About jeannie: I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.
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