Hurricane season is almost here, and we have all read about and seen the havoc wreaked by tornadoes across the Southeastern states. It is essential to be prepared for natural disasters and emergencies. The safety of your family depends on formulating a disaster plan, and this includes your pet’s needs, as well. Before an emergency, gather information and compile a pet disaster kit. Determine safe rooms in your home, and know your evacuation zone and which county shelters allow pets.

Shelter Safely

In an emergency, if it is unsafe for you to stay in your home, it is also unsafe for your pets. If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately; never wait until the last minute. Have a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians in your community that shelter animals in an emergency. Your list should include friends, relatives, or others outside your area who may let you and your pets stay with them. Also include pet-friendly hotels outside your area on your list. The website www.petswelcome.com is a good reference for hotels that accept pets.

If you bring your plants indoors before a storm, keep pets away from them, as some plants are poisonous. After a storm or natural disaster, proceed with caution and watch for downed and dangling power lines, broken glass, and other debris that could pose a danger to your family and your pets. Always walk pets on a leash until they become reoriented to their homes and yards and all dangers have been cleared. If you are without power and roads are not passable, a disaster kit can provide for your pet’s needs for up to two weeks.

Public sheltering should be your last option, but it is available if needed. All shelters will allow service animals, but you must plan ahead and even call for reservations for family pets once the county announces a shelter has opened. Three shelters in Manatee County allow pets, and all shelters in Sarasota County accept pets. (Please see below for more details.)

Realize that these shelters provide a safe refuge, but the pets are kept in a separate area from their owners. You are expected to provide a cage and care for your animal while at the shelter, except when winds are over 45 miles per hour, at which time you must stay in the area designated for people. The counties reserve the right to refuse admittance to any animal that poses a risk, especially if the pet owner is unprepared. A pet disaster kit is invaluable if you find yourself in this situation.

Make Your Pet Disaster Kit Today

Start assembling your kit by taking photos of your pets and writing their names, identifying marks, rabies tag number, and microchip number on the back of their photos, along with your complete contact information. Store the pictures and copies of current vaccination records in a sealed plastic bag in your disaster kit. Ask your vet for written prescriptions to include in the sealed bag if your pet is on critical medications that might need to be refilled elsewhere after an emergency.

The kit also should include the following items:

A carrier or collapsible cage
Bedding
A two-week supply of food in a water-tight container
A collar, harnesses (with up-to-date tags and your current contact information), and leashes
Water (one gallon a day for two weeks is equivalent to 14 gallons per pet)
Disinfectant
Handy wipes, paper towels, and plastic bags for waste
Latex gloves
Sturdy, no-spill bowls
Treats and toys
A can opener for canned food
A small litter box
Disposable pans or liners
A scoop and an ample supply of litter
A 14-day supply of medications, including heartworm preventative and flea & tick control products
Comfort items and a blanket or sheet to cover the crate for privacy
A muzzle, if necessary

A pet disaster kit is invaluable even if you stay home during an emergency. Remember that a pet may be disoriented, scared, and not act normally in a disaster situation. Your pets will be most comfortable and secure in their carriers in a safe area of the house until the storm or crisis has passed. Otherwise, they may escape and become injured or lost forever. More information on and resources for pet disaster preparedness can be found from ready.gov, the Red Cross, or the Humane Society of the United States.

Pet-Friendly Shelters

All evacuation centers in Sarasota County are now pet-friendly, accepting domestic dogs and cats with proper crates and food. For detailed information about hurricane preparedness in Sarasota County, including shelter locations, please click here.

Please note that there are only three pet-friendly shelters in Manatee County:

Mills Elementary School — 7200 69th Street East, Palmetto
Miller Elementary School — 601 43rd Street West, Bradenton 4
Freedom Elementary School — 9515 State Road 64 East, Bradenton

For detailed information about hurricane preparedness in Manatee County, including shelter locations, please click here.

Shelter openings vary with each emergency and will differ by size and intensity of a disaster. Do not go to the shelter until local officials announce that the shelter is open.

If you have any questions about hurricane preparedness and your pets, we’re ready to help — call us at (941) 377-3031 today.