Printable Information- Page 2

Feel free to print this for your fridge, bulletin board, friends, or any other place this may find use! (English page 2 of 2)
*Note: it is a tri-fold double-sided pamphlet, so print, then fold for best results!*

Printable Information- Page 1

Feel free to print this for your fridge, bulletin board, friends, or any other place this may find use! (English page 1 of 2)
*Note: it is a tri-fold double-sided pamphlet, so print, then fold for best results!*

Topic Three: Safety First!

If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for your pets either!
• Keep your pets wherever you are. No matter what.
• Never just let your pets roam outside even if it seems safe. Debris and other harmful materials be in your yard.
• Don’t allow your pets to eat or drink out of bowls that are outside during or after a hurricane without cleaning them.
• Your pets may be as stressed as you are. Keep them calm so as to avoid harm to you and your pets.

Topic Two: Most Important Tip

No matter what, always take your animals with you if you evacuate. Don’t assume you’ll come back to your pets at home the next day.  Just ask the owners of the more than 250,000 pets abandoned during Katrina who weren’t able to return to their pets. Remember the words of the Red Cross: “If it is not safe for you to stay, it is not safe for [your pets] either.”
• Plan ahead where you would go in an emergency evacuation. Know, however, that many shelters do no accept pets for health and safety reasons.
• If no pet-friendly shelter is close to you, look for pet-friendly hotels and motels or make arrangements to take your pets to a local veterinary office or boarding center for your pets to stay for the duration of the hurricane.

Topic One: Hurricane Preparedness Kit

To best prepare your pets for hurricane season, have all of the supplies you may need to keep your pets safe in an emergency situation in a hurricane preparedness kit. Keep your kit in a sturdy, easily transportable and accessible container. Kits should include, but are not limited to, an-at least-two week supply of the following items:
Nonperishable food and water
Containers/bowls for food and water
A portable pet carrier
Any necessary medications
Sturdy leash or harness
Cat litter and box or bags for waste
Towels
A few toys and/or treats to comfort
your pet
An updated information sheet
including food schedules, medical and
immunization records, contact
information, a picture of your pet, etc.
in a waterproof container or bag

Introduction

I remember hearing about the impact on pets from hurricane Katrina when more than 250,000 pets were abandoned. Although hurricanes at the caliber of Katrina do not happen frequently, according to the National Hurricane Center, “Each year, an average of eleven tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Many of these remain over the ocean and never impact the U.S. coastline. Six of these storms become hurricanes each year. In an average 3-year period, roughly five hurricanes strike the US coastline.” It is clear that preparation for hurricanes is needed when they are a relatively common occurrence; however, this means preparation for all. It is easy to overlook favorite companions while preparing the family for the worst, and when the storm comes, leave their pets behind, hoping to return to them shortly. This is the main cause of hurricane-related pet abandonment. If people  prepare their pets and plan ahead, thousands of pets’ lives could be saved.

Welcome!

This blog is created as part of a Girl Scout Gold Award to help pet owners be prepared for hurricane season.  Here you will find everything you need to know about preparing for hurricanes in advance, knowing what to do when a hurricane strikes, and how to recover.  Please take time to read the information presented as this could save lives!