How Dog Owners Can Prepare for Hurricane Season

Pet Owners Need to Prepare for 2012 Hurricane Season,

Keep in Mind Pets’ Emergency Needs

photo: Jerry Angelica Photography

HERNDON, Va. (May 16, 2012) – AccuWeather.com predicted another active hurricane season this year, and pet owners need to be prepared according to a national pet emergency preparedness company.

“In the midst of a fire, flood, tornado or hurricane, the likelihood that you and your pets will survive the emergency depends largely on emergency planning done today,” said Ines de Pablo, executive director of pet emergency management division at Wag’N Enterprises.

AccuWeather.com forecasted the Atlantic Basin will have 12 named tropical storms, five named hurricanes and two major hurricanes – all the more reason to be prepared ahead of time, de Pablo said.

Although residents in storm-afflicted areas commonly keep personal records handy in case of emergencies –phone numbers, medical records and emergency supplies – it’s easy to forget similar preparation for your pets, de Pablo said.  Pet owners need to have immunization/health records and emergency vet contact information printed and ready should powered electronics be unavailable during and after a storm.  An extra supply of your pet’s food, water and medicine should also be readily available.

De Pablo said it’s also important to understand that post-disaster agencies may be slow to respond, depending on the severity of a weather-related event.

“You are your own first line of defense and your pet’s, too,” she said.  “Pet owners can take steps so that a first responder’s job is easier, should an emergency take place.”

Wag’N Enterprises offers eight important tips for emergency preparedness:

• Pets should wear a collar with its regular identification, county license, microchip and rabies tag at all times.
• Pet owners should carry a record of their pet’s medical history, a photo of their pet and emergency contact numbers (veterinarian, local animal control, etc.).  A Wag’N Pet Passport™ is a good solution to put all information together in one place.
• If there’s a storm evacuation, it’s important to know whether or not your pet is allowed in the shelter.  So, it’s important to plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for you and your pet. Consider more than one evacuation route and think ahead of time of all your out-of-town and/or out-of-state destination options.
• Create a “grab and go” bag for your pet that’s light yet stocked with everything your pet needs during an evacuation.  Wag’N offers a preparedness checklist here for pet owners to reference.
• Prepare a Pet Emergency Management Plan. “We are all in danger of thinking we know what we will do, but unless we actually create a plan and rehearse said plan, we are generally victimized by the false sense of security of wishful thinking,” De Pablo said. Don’t know where to get started?  Consider attending a comprehensive five hour Wag’N Pet Emergency Management™ Seminar.
• Once a pet emergency management plan is made, practice the plan with your family, considering multiple hazard scenarios and giving yourself various time frames to evacuate. “Practice makes for perfect. A non-rehearsed plan is worse than no plan. The only way to test the validity of your plans is by putting them to the test,” De Pablo said.
• Pet owners should keep a list of all their emergency contacts’ (friends, neighbors or family members) contact information and pre-printed copies of lost pet posters readily available in their grab and go bag.  The Wag’N Rover Respond’R^® Mobile Emergency Kit is another valuable tool pet owners should use to keep important information handy in their vehicles as well.
• Prepare your human and pet first aid skills. Pet owners should take a Pet First Aid Class from a certified Pet Tech™ instructor and also have a Pet First Aid Kit.
• Always keep paper and electronic copies of the following information, preferably in a resealable bag:

1. Pet’s veterinarian information
2. Emergency animal hospital
3. National poison control (800.222.1222)
4. Paper maps of your neighborhood, town, county as well as regional maps.
5. Veterinary and immunization records
6. Pictures of owner(s) with pet(s) for proof of ownership

For more information, please visit www.wagnpetsafety.com or contact Dave Payne at 678.551.0780 / dave@fetchingcommunications.com.  Wag’N is active on Twitter and Facebook.

About Wag’N Enterprises
Founded in 2007, Wag’N Enterprises (http://www.wagnpetsafety.com) offers pet emergency management solutions to service industries, first responders and pet parents to effectively mitigate, prepare for and respond to emergencies that impact pet health and safety. Executive Director of Pet Emergency Management Division Ines de Pablo holds a Master’s Degree in Risk, Crisis & Emergency Management from the prominent George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and has more than a decade of extensive field training experience under her belt. Wag’N Pet Safety Gear is a branded and extensive collection of purposefully designed tools and services giving people and their pets peace of mind in case of an emergency.

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