Hurricane season is here with us and like the previous ones, we are assured of the destruction of properties and sources of livelihood. As the government has often advised that there is a need to heed for safety, often, we forget about the safety of our pets. These animals are family members and we need to take good care of them and make sure they are safe as well. We, therefore, need to handle pets during a hurricane in a manner that will ensure they are comfortable and secure since we chose to share our lives with them.

At the foremost, it is important to keep yourself updated about the weather pattern and when the storm is detected, it advisable to ensure all the pets are moved into the house to keep warm and to ensure that they remain calm as the storm approaches.

Always make sure to include your pet in the evacuation plans. This involves ensuring that there is a pet carrier to enable faster mobility during the evacuation. Make sure that you include medicine, your pets’ medical files since most shelters will always ask for it and food packs to last a couple of days so that the pets may not starve.

It is important to have a list of emergency numbers like the local veterinary. local animal control in case of emergencies. Make sure your pet’s vaccination is updated so as to have a strong immunity against diseases brought by the hurricane.

Since there are some shelters that do not accept pets, it is important to check with relatives who are on the safe sides if they can look after your pets or you scout around for the best animal shelter that your pet can stay during this period.

Have a collar with an applicable tag or name to avoid it being lost and if possible have it microchipped so that it can easily be located. Always remember to have an updated photograph of you and your pet for identification purpose.

Vandalism is often brought by hurricanes and therefore after the storm has passed and you return to your home, your pets may find the surroundings new to them and as such it is advisable that you walk around with your pets so that they can familiarize with the environment.

Hurricanes are here to stay and it is therefore imperative to provide proper care to pets during a hurricane occurrence as they are a part of us.

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