With our first tropical storm of the season under our belt and the tropical season off to an early start, it is a reminder to us all: hurricane season is here and people are not the only ones who need to be prepared. Pets need to be prepared also. Your pets will have different needs than you when it come to preparing for a hurricane. We want to remind you to take the needed precautions for all your furry family members as well.
The occurence of regular summer thunder showers is stressful for many of our pets, but the added risk of more powerful storms and the potential for power outages, evacuations, or damage to our homes can be very stressful thought for us and many of us have not thought about what arrangements we would need to make for our pets.
Here are some recommendations to make sure your pet is ready:
Start Training:
One of the most important things you can do for your pet is to crate train them. In a disaster, you may have to evacuate and your pet may have to endure long hours in a vehicle. Your pet may also be required to stay in a crate if you evacuate to a shelter. Ask us for inrormation on crate training your pet .
Get Microchipped and Update Tags:
If you and your pet are ever separated, a microchip is the best way to ensure that you will be contacted if your pet is found. A microchip provides permanent identification for your pet. We can implant a microchip in your pet during at any time. It is also important that the information you have on file with the microchip company is up to date. It’s also important to make sure your pet has updated tags. Make sure that you also attach their updated rabies tag attached to their collar. If you pet is not microchipped, call us today to schedule an appointment to have your pet permanently identified.
Update your pet's vaccines:
The announcement of a storm is not the time to make sure your pet’s vaccines are up to date. Make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up-to-date well before the threat. Have copies of your pet’s vaccination records readily available. Shelters will require you to provide them before admitting your pet and if you need to evacuate them to an out of town boarding facility they will need to have the required vaccines. If you need a copy of your pet's vaccine record, call our office and we can make sure you have the most updated record.
Arrange a Safe Place:
If your home is not safe for you, then it is NOT safe for your pet. Make a plan outlining where you can take your pets. At the time of my writing this, Berkeley county does not have a designated emergency shelter location that allows pets and in the past only the North Charleston Coliseum was designated as a pet emergency shelter during a hurricane evacuation. We recommend that you pre-plan where you will be taking your pet if you need to evacuate. This may mean an out of town friend or relative, a pet friendly hotel, or boarding facility in the area that you would evacuate to with your family.
If you are not evacuating, figure out the best place for you and your pets to stay in your home when storm hits. If your safe room isn’t a place your pets normally spend a lot of time, be sure to bring them into the designated area before an emergency so they can get used to it. Make sure your pets are secure many hours before the storm hits. Pets can sense the changes in barometric pressure and sense our stress as well. Pets may try to escape or hide. Keep cats in a carrier or small room and dogs on a leash or keep them in their crate to ensure their safety prior to and during the storm.
Pet Hurricane Kit:
Here are a few items your pet may need:
*Leash and crate
*At least one week’s supply of food (Don’t forget a can opener if your pet eats canned food or just use pop-top canned food.)
*Water(minimum 5 day supply)
*Food and water bowls
*medications your pet needs
*Cat litter and box or doggie waste bagsSpecific care instructions-Newspapers and plastic trash bags
*Vaccine record and microchip information
For additional information on this topic, to find a listing of pet-friendly motels and hotels, or to find facilities offering emergency pet sheltering, visit the following sites:
http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/ophp/hurricane/pets.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/features/hurricanepreparedness/
Pet friendly Accommodation Information
www.petswelcome.com
www.travelpets.com
www.dogfriendly.com
www.pettravel.com
