But What About Our Pets?

Chalk it up to either 1)Post-Katrina hyper-preparedness 2)New York?s unfamiliarity with hurricanes or 3)Our obsession with our pets (looking at you, Penny Reisman!).

The state has released some commonsense guidelines this afternoon to deal with pets big and small during a hurricane, which mostly boils down to stuff most of us will follow for ourselves: have plenty of food on hand and don?t let them go outside.

Department of Agriculture and Markets State Veterinarian Dr. David Smith recommended that pets and their owners stay together in the event of a crisis.

?Plan accordingly,? Smith said. ?If you are ordered to evacuate, and you think you may only be required to leave for a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for at least a week. Start preparing your family and pets for evacuation as soon as you have been warned of possible disaster. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced, follow the instructions of local and state officials.?

The full list of tips from the State Emergency Management Office after the jump.

? Pets may become stressed during an in-house confinement, so consider crating them for safety and comfort. Crating your pets may also make it easier in your preparation to leave if evacuation becomes necessary. Do not evacuate and leave your pets behind in a crate because they will be rendered helpless until you return or until someone else reaches them.

? Talk to your neighbors, friends, relatives and sitters about designating someone to care for your pets when emergencies occur, if you are unable to get home to do so yourself

? Ask relatives and/or friends if they would be willing to take you and your pets in should you need to evacuate your home

? If you have multiple pets, you may need to consider making arrangements with several friends

? Make sure pet caretakers are comfortable handling your pets

? Share your evacuation plan, pet evacuation kit location (see below), an extra set of keys, and emergency contact list with your designated pet caretakers

? Look into pet-friendly hotels, veterinary hospitals, boarding kennels and animal shelters outside your area and call these facilities to find out if they can accommodate your pets

? Know the phone numbers of your local animal control agency, humane society, local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and local emergency veterinary hospital

? Consider keeping a pet evacuation kit close at hand. Be sure it is clearly labeled, easy to carry and water-resistant.

Source: http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/08/but-what-about-our-pets/

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