May 17th

By Mutt Mulligan

Severe weather pet safety tips from TurfMutt

Next month (June) is Pet Preparedness Month. TurfMutt is here with some friendly reminders for pet parents that will help ensure the entire family is safe this storm season. Remember, what’s good for us is good for our pets!

Bring your pets inside at the first sign of danger. Disasters can be disorienting for pets, and they could run away or hurt themselves reacting to loud noises and strange changes to their landscape. Also, rain, flying debris and high winds pose a danger.

If you have to leave, keep your pet with you. Leaving your pets behind during a natural disaster is never a good idea because they could escape or become exposed to a number of life-threatening hazards. Keep them on a leash or in a pet carrier so they don’t escape even in a “familiar” neighborhood.

Determine where you’ll go. In advance, coordinate to stay with friends or family members, or find a pet-friendly hotel outside the disaster area. Have those conversations and do your research well ahead of time so you have a plan in place when needed.

Create a pet-friendly resource list. Not all emergency shelters will accept pets, so you need a Plan B. Develop a list of the pet-friendly hotels outside your immediate area. Research a list of veterinarians in the area should your pet need medical care (your regular vet may have some recommendations). Also, figure out which boarding facilities are nearby in case you need to separate from your pet for a time.

Pack an emergency bag. You’ll want emergency provisions packed for your pet well in advance of a catastrophe so you can evacuate your home quickly if needed. Choose an easy-to-carry bag, label it and keep it where everyone in the family can find it quickly. The bag should include:

• Pet first aid kit
• Enough food and bottled water for a week (rotate this every couple of months to keep it from going bad)
• Medications (check periodically to ensure medicines in your emergency bag don’t expire)
• Cleanup supplies
• Food and water dishes
• Bags (or litter for cats) for collecting waste
• An extra collar and leash
• Photocopies of medical records
• Towels
• Recent photos of your pets
• Favorite toy or chewy for comfort

It’s also a good idea to have a sturdy carrier or crate for each pet.