Do you know what to do with your pet in the event of an upcoming storm?

Hurricane season is among us and the first reaction is to load up on supplies in case we have a pending warning of such a nasty storm. but we usually think of our family’s protection first and quite often neglect the pets in our household. Pets are our family members also and we need to think of them in case of an impending storm.

While you are making the necessary list of items to stock up on, add these items to the list for your pet. You want to keep them separate of the food containers that you use, especially for drinking water.

Get some old plastic gallon milk jugs and fill them with water for your pet in case you lose electricity or your pump goes out. make sure it is enough to last at least a week in case something unfortunate happens and you are without service and in the most drastic case, a home.

Second, make sure you fill up a plastic garbage can (new please) with dry dog food. If your dog eats canned food, make sure you have at least 2 cans per day, so plan on around 14 cans. Also include a manual can-opener to open them. make sure the lid fits tightly on the garbage can and it is water proof. You might want to put a liner in it to keep out moisture and water. put in a high place in case of flooding. Food that is water damaged can grow bacteria and mold which could cause major illness.

Third, make sure that during the storm, whether severe or not, that your dog is inside and not tied up. should something happen and you are in a panic, you won’t have time to untangle the leash or chain after your dog knotted it by jumping around from the excitement.

Fourth, If your dog takes any medication on a regular basis, make sure it is a tightly sealed plastic bag and in your possession on you physically. Not on the counter in case you and your pet have to make a quick exit, so you won’t forget it. make sure you have your address book with the veterinarian’s phone number in case you need to call away from home.

Fifth, make sure you have proper paperwork such as vaccination records, and make sure your pet has proper identification such as a collar or a microchip with current contact information and a photograph in case you do get separated.

Know where shelters are in your area and whether or not they take pets, as not all of them do, and most that do take pets are on a first come basis.