Be Sure Your Pets are Prepared for Hurricane Season

May 23, 2011 - PRLog -- Oxford, MS, May 22, 2011 – Animal experts agree, preparing to take care of your pet during a hurricane, tornado or any other natural disaster takes just a little planning and isn’t much more complicated than preparing your pet for a family car vacation.  According to  Niki Tudge, owner of The DogSmith and a Certified Animal Behavior Counselor, “Your pet’s emergency kit will contain almost the same things you would include for your pet when it travels with the family but you may want to keep essentials in a waterproof bag or plastic container.”  

The Humane Society advises that you always make sure you have enough food and any medicine needed for your pet for about a week.  Be sure to include your pet’s needs when calculating how much water you will take with you; you don’t want to be caught short on food and water if stores are closed, especially if your pet is on a special diet.
“Also, in your kit, include an extra leash, collars or harnesses (preferably a collar with your phone number) and keep copies of ID chip registration or tattoos, recent photographs, vet records (including rabies certificate), any license you may be required to have and your vet’s phone number,” said Tudge.  Favorite toys and treats, blankets, beds, waste bags, food and water bowls will make sure your best friend can enjoy a ‘home away from home’ while on the road.  Tudge said, “You will also want an accident cleanup kit containing plenty of paper towels and an organic odor/stain remover.  Even the most reliable pet can have accidents in unfamiliar surroundings when stressed.”

Tudge emphasizes that the best thing you can do for your pet, at home or on the road and long before a disaster strikes, is to make sure your pet is properly crate trained.  “Crate-training your pet pays big dividends.  No matter where you go or what you do, your pet’s crate is its mobile home where it can feel safe and secure.  A dog or cat that feels happy and safe in its own crate will find any new environment easier to cope with,” said Tudge.  The DogSmith offers a free guide to crate training at www.DogSmith.com.  

The American Automobile Association also recommends that pets should master car travel and being with strangers long before a disaster strikes.  Any type of emergency or evacuation can be filled with new and unusual activities.  The more comfortable and confident your pet is will help it cope with new sights, sounds and smells.  Tudge recommends, “If your pet is not comfortable traveling by car you can help it by taking it on local car trips of increasing duration.  Here again a crate secured inside your car is a valuable tool to keep your pet safe.”  A variety of specialty seatbelt attachments and harnesses designed for car travel are also available at most pet stores.  Visit www.AAA.com for a list of pet-friendly motels and more information on traveling by car with your pet.

You can also get a free guide to socializing your pet at www.DogSmith.com.
As a rule, never leave your pet home alone if you need to evacuate.  Plan ahead and know if you will be going to friends, family or investigate the availability of pet-friendly hotels/motels.  Identify and establish a relationship with pet sitters and pet hotels/motels/kennels that are outside your evacuation zone.  Remember if you are evacuating to an emergency shelter most do not allow pets.   With a little planning, you will ensure all of your family members stay safe during times of natural disasters.

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The DogSmith Franchise Services Inc. is a Florida based company whose mission is to enhance the lives of pets and their owners by improving their relationship, and the quality of the life they share, through providing professional support and training to pet dog owners, supporting and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations to minimize the number of unwanted animals and offering affordable and professional care to family pets so that pet ownership is never a burden. To learn more about the DogSmith or become a DogSmith Dog Trainer, visit www.DogSmithfranchise.com or call 1-888-364-7648.