From an "Upcoming News" item on the Humane Society of Silicon Valley website:

Disaster Planning With Your Pet

A disaster preparedness kit for animals should include:

• Current pictures and microchip numbers of pets
• Extra collars and leashes for cats/small dogs
• Small foldable, portable crates for cats/small dogs
• Seven to 10 days worth of dry food in a waterproof/airtight container
• A spoon and can opener if taking canned food (buy smallest can)
• Enough sealed water to last one week for all pets
• Two weeks worth of pet=92s medications, kept in a small airtight bottle
• Foldable water and food dish
• Poop pick-up bags or disposable litter tray with litter
• Several towels to double for drying and bedding
• Small disinfectant soap for clean up
• First aid kit
• Chew items to keep dogs busy if confined

Tags

Start with the basics - all pets should wear a collar and an ID tag with several different telephone numbers on the tag, including a cell phone number. In case the collar and tags fall off, you should also make sure your pets have a microchip safely injected into their skin. Then, if you get separated from your pet, more than 12,000 shelters and veterinarians can read the identification code contained in the microchip, using a simple hand-held scanner.

If You Evacuate, Take Your Pets

The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you when you evacuate. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. If you leave, even if you think you may be gone only for a few hours, take your animals. Once you leave, you have no way of knowing how long you'll be kept out of the area, and you may not be able to go back for your pets.

Find a Safe Place Ahead of Time

Because evacuation shelters generally don't accept pets (except for service animals), you must plan ahead to ensure that your family and pets will have a safe place to stay. Don't wait until disaster strikes to do your research.

• Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets. Ask about any restrictions on number, size, and species. Ask if "no pet" policies would be waived in an emergency.
• Make a list of pet-friendly places and keep it handy. Call ahead for a reservation as soon as you think you might have to leave your home.
• Check with friends, relatives, or others outside your immediate area. Ask if they would be able to shelter you and your animals or just your animals, if necessary.
• If you have more than one pet, you may have to be prepared to house them separately.
• Make a list of boarding facilities and veterinary offices that might be able to shelter animals in emergencies; include 24-hour telephone numbers.
• Ask your local animal shelter if it provides foster care or shelter for pets in an emergency. This should be your last resort, as shelters have limited resources and are likely to be stretched to their limits during an emergency.

In Case You're Not Home

An evacuation order may come, or a disaster may strike, when you're at work or out of the house. Make arrangements well in advance for a trusted neighbor to take your pets and meet you at a specified location. Be sure the person is comfortable with your pets, knows where your animals are likely to be, knows where your disaster supplies are kept, and has a key to your home.