Pets & Livestock

Keeping pets and livestock safe, from go-bags and microchips to trailering large animals and free emergency boarding.

Build a pet go-bag now, not on the day of evacuation

Studies cited by the BC SPCA find that having pets is the most common reason households fail to evacuate — preparation is what makes the carrier-and-go option realistic.

Reception centres need vaccination records — keep a copy in the go-bag

Most ESS reception centres turn away pets without current vaccination records — bring rabies and distemper paperwork in the go-bag, not a promise to email it later.

Microchip your pet and register it with the BC Pet Registry

Cats with a registered microchip are up to twenty times more likely to be returned home than cats without — a chip is the single highest-impact piece of pet emergency prep.

BC SPCA offers free emergency boarding during evacuations

BC SPCA provides free emergency pet boarding during wildfire evacuations — call 1-855-622-7722, and bring vaccination records and a recent photo if you can.

For livestock, plan trailers, routes and a destination before fire season

Alberta’s livestock preparedness page tells ranchers to leave at least 72 hours of feed and water that does not need electricity, and to open gates rather than trap animals in barns.

Register livestock with Alberta’s Traceability program

Alberta’s livestock Traceability program is free and one-time — and it is what lets emergency-management staff reach you about your animals during a wildfire.

Practice trailering horses and large animals before you need to

Most failed livestock evacuations come down to one cause: animals that had never been trailered before — practice loading on a calm day, not on the worst day.

Collar tags are the first line of pet identification

A collar tag plus a microchip is the gold standard — the tag gets a found pet home in minutes, the microchip handles the cases where the collar comes off.

Never leave pets behind in a structure during evacuation

If you are already evacuated without pets, BC SPCA at 1-855-622-7722 can sometimes coordinate rescue — but the right plan is always to take pets with you in the first place.

Watch livestock for smoke and ash injuries after a fire

Smoke-related respiratory issues in cattle and horses can develop into pneumonia weeks after a fire — a vet check after exposure is worth the cost even if animals look fine.

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