Prepping Dogs and Cats for Hurricanes

By
Fran Faulkner
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dogPaws-itive Press

Prepping Dogs and Cats for Hurricanes

By Fran Faulkner

Hurricane season is here. Surely you have figured your pets into your disaster preparedness plan. If you haven’t, please plan ahead. Here are some tips to help you include your furry friends into your plan.

The first thing I recommend is to visit your veterinarian. It is important to update your pet’s vaccines in case you need to schedule a last-minute boarding reservation or check-in to a pet-friendly hotel on your way to safety. While you are at your vet’s office, verify that the contact information they have stored for you is accurate. It would also be wise to microchip your pet to increase your chances of being reunited with them if you get separated. If your pet is already microchipped, verify the contact information with your microchip distributor as well.

Now that we’ve gotten the ‘honey-do’ list out of the way, let’s go over what kind of supplies you might need in case of an emergency due to incline the weather:

  • Enough food and water to last about 5-7 days with a can opener for canned diets
  • Food and water dishes
  • A portable carrier or crate large enough for your pet to stand and turn around easily (be sure to mark the crate with your name and phone number)
  • Any medications or treatments your pet may need (it is never a good idea to wait until the last minute to refill medications)
  • Bedding, blankets and grooming tools
  • Medical records (including current vaccine status), medical alerts about health or behavior (an example would be diabetic or female handlers only)
  • A collar with up-to-date tags and a leash
  • Toys and snacks
  • A litterbox with fresh litter for kitties or waste pick-up bags for puppies
  • A current photo of your pet(s)

In the event that you and your animal companion get separated during an emergency, a few facilities to check would be: Animal Care and Control, Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, Tri-County Humane Society, Boynton Beach Animal Control and Safe Harbor Animal Rescue. Besides checking in with local animal shelters, the sooner ‘missing pet’ posters are distributed with a current pet photo, the better your chances of getting them back home.

If you are NOT separated from your pet in the event of a hurricane, there is one pet-friendly public shelter in Palm Beach County. It is located at the West Boynton Recreation Center in Lake Worth. It is possible that pre-registration is required since space is limited so please contact your public shelter or boarding facility to find out more information.