Hurricane Pet Preparedness
Hurricane Preparedness for Your Pets
Did you know that half of the year is classified as Hurricane Season? Hurricane Season starts on June 1 and continues until November 30. The entire East and Gulf Coasts are subject to impacts by hurricanes. Because of this fact, we feel it is very important for everyone in those areas to have a Hurricane Preparedness Plan in place for themselves as well as their pets. Here are some helpful guidelines to get you on your way to being ready…just in case.
- Pack food and water for your pets. Make sure you have enough for at least a week. If you use canned food, don’t forget the can opener.
- Non-tippable food and water containers.
- Food & Water dishes
- Leash, Harness, and Carrier/Kennel. It will be important for you to be able to take your pet safely to do his business and have safe place to sleep.
- For cats, they will need to have enough litter for a week and a easily transportable litter box.
- Current photos of your pet. In the case of separation, these can help reunite you. Microchipping your pet is also a great way to make sure that in the event of a separation they are returned to you quickly.
- Comfort Items such as toys and blankets. These items may help reduce the stress on your pet during the evacuation.
- Medications. If your pet takes any medication, make sure you take it with you.
- Vaccination Records. Be sure to have a water proof container to keep these in.
- Tags & IDs. Make sure that your pet has it’s collar on with it’s current vaccination tags. It is also a good idea to have your cell phone number on your pet’s tag.
For more information on putting a checklist together and preparing for a disaster please check out the following link.
