Hurricane season affects every part of Florida’s peninsula, and with the warm waters of the Gulf, strong tropical storms can cause a lot of damage! Many of us already have at least a vague emergency plan for our families in the event of a hurricane—whether you decide to ride it out or are called to evacuate. Yet, how many of us have specifically included our pets in the plan? Hurricane pet safety is a serious consideration for every pet parent to take, so read on to learn more about how you can be better prepared to care for you pet during a storm.
Tips for Hurricane Safety
Keeping your pet safe during a hurricane isn’t rocket science—just like you, they have the same basic needs: food, water, and shelter. The most important thing is keeping your pet calm during the storm or for an evacuation. But beyond the basics, there are more things you can do to make your pet’s experience smoother.
To ensure hurricane pet safety follow these steps:
If you’re staying home and weathering the storm:
- Make sure your pet is familiar with wherever it is you take shelter in your home. Take them in and show them around well before any storm so they have less anxiety about it later.
- Keep your pet calm with a gentle tone of voice and actions. If they have noise aversion or are overly anxious about storms, contact us at 813.850.0600 and we can provide the proper medication to help them remain calm.
- Always have food and water available for your pet in your shelter space in case. If the storm is worse than it appears, damage to your home could cause you to remain there until a rescue team arrive.
If you need to evacuate:
- Do some research beforehand to know which hotels along your evacuation route are pet friendly. Or, communicate with friends and family who would be able to take your pet in.
- Some shelters will not take pets that are past due for their rabies vaccine, so see that your pet is kept up-to-date with all of their vaccinations–especially rabies!
- Keep in mind that many shelters cannot accept pets due to health and safety reasons, so know what boarding facilities or animal shelters are in the area.
- Prepare an evacuation kit for your pet and include: food, water, their crate or carrier, vaccination records, up to date identification, relevant medical information, two weeks’ worth of chronic medications, contact information, sanitary items such as puppy pads or a litter box, leash or muzzle, and any toys or bedding from home to help them feel more comfortable.
- Consider microchipping your pet so that in the event they do get lost, they have a better chance of returning home to you.
Contact Us for More Tips
For more information about pet safety tips, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Hurricane pet safety is a key concern of ours, so we’re always happy to help!
