Update: After a dog died in a Detroit house fire on Wednesday, PETA is extending our offer of free emergency stickers to 1,000 Detroit-area residents. 

The following was originally posted on February 12, 2013:

Following the deaths of two dogs in a recent fire in Cleveland, PETA is offering free "Please Save Our Animals" stickers to the first 1,000 Cleveland-area residents who request them via e-mail during February.

The heartbreaking loss of cherished animal companions should serve as a reminder of the importance of emergency planning that includes all your family members. Firefighters and disaster-relief workers frequently perform heroic rescues of animals, but it's vital to let them know to look for your dogs, cats, or other animals who might be missed amid smoke or wreckage.

If you share your home with animals, placing PETA's bright-yellow emergency window stickers near your front and back doors and on side windows can mean the difference between life and death for them in case a weather emergency or fire strikes when you aren't home. For those outside the Cleveland area, stickers may be ordered from the PETA Catalog—or you can easily create your own sign on your computer and get it laminated at a copy or shipping store.

NASA Goddard Photo and Video / CC by 2.0

Earl, a category 4 hurricane, could be pounding on East Coast residents' doors within days. For those of us who live in areas prone to hurricanes (or wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards, or any other type of disaster) it's crucial to make emergency plans for our animal companions now, before disaster strikes. Here are some tips:

• Always take animals along in evacuations. Downed power lines and impassable roads may make it impossible to return home for weeks, leaving animals stranded without food or water.
• Make a list of places that will accept you and your animals during an evacuation. Friends, family, and hotels are good options.
• Ensure that all animals are up to date on vaccinations and are wearing collars with identification tags.
• Assemble an emergency kit, including leashes, bowls, towels, blankets, litter, litter pans, and at least a week's supply of food and medications.
• Leave animals behind only as the last resort. Leave them indoors, with access to upper floors and at least 10 days' worth of dry food and water (fill sinks and multiple containers). Place signs in windows and on the front door indicating the number and type of animals inside—rescue teams may be able to save them.

Done all this? Great! You can help even more animals by donating to PETA's Animal Emergency Fund!

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

At least, it's true for firefighters in Portland, Maine. After learning that the Portland Fire Department (PFD) was looking for help in equipping all fire stations with oxygen masks for animals, PETA has donated six masks, in various sizes, to assist with the effort. All too often, first responders have had to treat animals suffering from smoke inhalation with poorly fitting oxygen masks designed for humans—so cheers to the good folks of the PFD for making sure that they're ready to help everyone who is endangered by fires.

They say, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation," so let's hope that more fire departments will soon follow in Portland's compassionate footsteps—maybe you could even make the suggestion at your local fire station. And let's also hope that more of us who share our homes with animal companions will take this as a cue to include them in our emergency plans by posting a notice on the doors of our homes about how many animals are inside in case of fire.

Written by Jeff Mackey

Here's a reminder of why it's so important to question authority when it comes to our animal companions' well-being: Recently, a distraught woman called PETA for help after a veterinarian sent her terribly injured cat home with only a prescription for antibiotics, claiming that this gaping wound would heal on its own:

No one knows how this poor cat was injured, but it doesn't take a degree in veterinary medicine to realize that the wound was life-threatening—it was necrotic and the muscle tissue had been exposed—and that the cat clearly needed further intervention immediately. PETA's Emergency Response Team helped find another nearby vet to assess the animal, who determined that the cat was indeed in dire condition and that euthanasia was the most merciful option. She was able to peacefully end the cat's suffering.

We owe it to our animals to be proactive if we suspect that they are suffering as a result of inadequate or downright bad advice or care from a veterinarian, groomer, trainer, or anyone else. Trust your own instincts and seek a second opinion. In this case, the cat would have suffered prolonged pain and a slow death if her guardian hadn't known better and persisted on behalf of her kitty. Of course, animals are much less likely to suffer catastrophic injuries like this one if they are safely confined indoors or kept under constant supervision when let outside on a harness or in a secure fenced area.

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

examiner / CC

The aftershocks of Haiti's massive earthquake are still reverberating. The human death toll estimates are in the tens of thousands, but no one has a clue how many animals have been hurt or killed. We know that you are as worried as we are, so please know that we are monitoring the situation and looking for opportunities to help in case they arise. Of course, it is a terribly difficult situation: Criminal acts abound and can only increase, the likelihood of martial law looms, and there is a severe water shortage. The outbreak of disease from contaminated water and broken sewer systems is sure to follow. There are no commercial flights in and out of Haiti, and there is no functional SPCA or humane organization on the island. But we are receiving information from PETA members' families inside Haiti, and we will update you as to how you can help the island's animals if we find a way.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, PETA teams rescued more than 300 cats, dogs, birds, and other animals and helped care for thousands more at emergency animal shelters. Of course, every day is a bad day for animals who are not often on people's minds—like those in slaughterhouses and fur farms in the U.S. and overseas. Please, never forget them: They also need help. Meanwhile, please make sure that you and everyone you know is aware of how to protect your own animal companions by preparing for a natural disaster—before it strikes.

Thank you for thinking about animals in trouble.

Written by Logan Scherer

The dust has cleared a bit from the tornado that hit our area this week, but we’re still working in the community to help people and animals who were affected by the disaster. I found out yesterday that my colleague Cindy Clark, who works in the PETA Foundation’s Development Department, was one of those people—her home was right in the path of the storm. Her story, in addition to being pretty exciting, is also a great reminder about how to keep your head in a disaster like this and do everything you can to ensure that your animals, who rely on you completely, don’t become victims. Here’s how it all went down, according to Cindy:

I like the happy ending. Big thanks are due to the folks at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School and the shelter at Kings Fork High School for being awesome throughout. There’s more info on what you can do to make sure your animals are safe in the event of an emergency here.

As you’ll be well aware if you live anywhere near here, our area got hit by a tornado yesterday. 200 people were injured, a lot of people had to leave their homes in a hurry, and …here we go again…animals were left behind, plus authorities have refused to let people who tried to go home after work return to their homes. We’ve been rushing around today trying to help those animals out. There’s plenty more info below about what you can do if you live in the area.