During evacuations and emergency responses, one of the most heartbreaking realities we may witness is families unprepared to care for their animals in the chaos. At yesterday’s Prideful PupFest, hosted by WagWorld, we were honored to raise awareness about just how critical it is to include your pets in your disaster preparedness plans.

Most families know they should have a go bag ready for themselves, but far fewer have one packed for their pets. That oversight can turn an already stressful situation into a devastating one. Shelters may not have the resources to accommodate animals. Access to food and clean water can disappear in a moment. And if you don’t have the right documentation, you may not even be allowed to bring your pet into an evacuation center.

That’s why we handed out simple checklists to every pet parent at the event, covering the essentials:

While this list isn’t exhaustive, it’s a crucial starting point. Think of it as peace of mind in a zippered pouch: one less thing to panic over when minutes matter.

Our goal at Grounded Boots Relief is to help our communities prepare before disaster hits, not simply responding after the fact. That includes the four-legged family members who rely on us most. Whether it’s a wildfire, flood, or hurricane, being ready isn’t just smart; it’s kind.

As we continue building our readiness buckets (containers of essential supplies we distribute before disaster strikes) we’ve been reaching out to companies whose products could make a life-saving difference in crisis conditions. This week, we had the incredible honor of receiving a donation of 2,000 electrolyte pouches from DripDrop, allowing us to stock each of our first 500 buckets with four packets of rapid hydration support.

DripDrop’s contribution is a game changer. Hydration is critical in the wake of disaster, especially when heat, stress, or sickness are in play. These packets will give families a better shot at staying strong in the critical hours and days following a crisis.

We’re proud to have DripDrop join our growing list of mission-minded partners, which already includes Sawyer Products (water filtration), Dude Wipes (wet wipes), and SallyeAnder (soap and natural bug repellant). Each partnership brings us one step closer to distributing truly comprehensive readiness kits.

We’re still looking for other brands who believe in proactive preparedness and boots-on-the-ground relief. If your company or one you admire would be a good fit, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can turn everyday items into lifelines.

Volcanic Ash Can Improve Crop Growth
In the wake of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, farmers reported significantly improved grass and grain growth—volcanic ash acted as a natural, nutrient-rich fertilizer, warming soils and boosting yields far above typical levels
Source: Icelandic Review

I’m trying, but you’re the reason we’re succeeding.

As someone who didn’t have the funds to build this nonprofit on my own, it’s by your generosity that we’ve not only made it this far, but that we now stand on the edge of something with real momentum. I often say we’re at the crook of the hockey stick: that early inflection point of exponential growth. I’m having conversations that light a fire under me. And sure, I can look back at some of them wishing I’d been better prepared- but that’s part of the learning. Writing these newsletters is part of that too. It’s a chance to reflect, recalibrate, and get sharper for whatever’s next.

I’ve been reading Decision Making in Disaster Response, and one line stuck with me: “...try to remember that you are not looking for the ‘best’ decision. You are looking for the first solution which is good enough.”
It echoes a quote I’ve mentioned here before from General Patton: A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week. I don’t love the idea of settling for “good enough,” but in disaster response, the cost of waiting for perfect can be failure to act at all.

I’m excited about where we’re headed, and I’m just as committed to the long road of recovery we’ve still got ahead of us. That work’s not going away anytime soon. Thanks for reading, and thanks for being part of this. There’s more to come. Plenty more.

John S. Badger