With the
summer months upon us, it is more likely that many areas will experience
weather phenomena that could warrant quick action. Flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes just to
name a few are all possibilities, even earthquakes can prove disastrous. Some of these allow sufficient notice, others
just short notice, and some no warning at all.
Know what to expect from the geographical area you live in, especially
if you just moved there. And even if
you’ve lived somewhere a long time or a life time, maybe you’ve not thought too
much about it, or never been impacted by weather issues in the past. It certainly pays to be prepared.
This is
particularly important if you have pets.
Plan that if you go, they go with you.
They cannot make it ‘on their own’.
You need to find out ahead of time what options are available. Red Cross will not allow you to stay in their
shelters with pets. Use animal shelters
as a last resort, as we probably already know all too well, they are
overburdened on a daily basis. Check
with your vet and local hotels to see what is available. Have necessary items at the ready. Carriers appropriate for pet size, treats,
water, kibble, blankets, leashes and harnesses.
Keep a tote
in your vehicle with necessities. I keep
my pet first aid kit on a bench by my door leading out to my garage, which
makes it easy to grab to go with us.
Consider making copies of your pet’s important papers, and keep them in
your tote with the other items. Be sure
to replenish and reassess about every six months to keep everything up-to-date
and fresh.
Facing
disasters can be bad enough, but at least being as prepared as we can be will
hopefully ease the impact, and enable us to have our pets, as well as ourselves
and our family safe. There are many
things that are out of our control…but knowing what to do ahead of time in
these situations, could possibly save our life, and that of our beloved pets.
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