HURRICANE
INFORMATION
Taking care of your pets in their home
850-293-8255 petperks@bellsouth.net
If Pet Perks is scheduled to take care of your pets anytime during hurricane season, we will make every attempt to discuss your preferences for your pets if a storm should approach. Please discuss your plans with us if we should neglect to do so.
Please understand that in the event of the threat of a strong storm, (Category 3 or more) we expect to evacuate the area with others. We will not be able to take your pets with us. We may remain in the area during a Category 1 or 2 storm, but our plans may change as yours may.
Hurricane season generally runs from June through November. Pet owners should make plans and prepare well in advance for storms that could threaten property, their health and the health of their pets. The following information comes from Santa Rosa County Animal Services and other reliable sources. Contact Animals Services at 850-983-4680 for its pamphlet, Surviving The Storm, or visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/animals/ for the latest information. To check on pet-friendly lodging and information, visit www.petswelcome.com or www.officialpet hotels.com.
Early preparations
Keep updated contact information on your pet’s collar. Make sure vaccinations are current and a paper copy is in your evacuation packet. If you plan to evacuate, make advance arrangements to board your pets at a structurally sound kennel or check with your veterinarian. If you make reservations to evacuate to a hotel, make sure pets are permitted.
As you do with your family, store a week’s worth of water and food for your pet if you plan to evacuate. Keep a leash, a couple of towels for bedding and drying, a couple of toys, treats and required medicines ready to take with you. Additionally, have on hand recent photos, a can opener, food dishes, pet carriers for each pet, plastic bags and cat litter and newspapers for sanitary purposes, and a first aid kit that will help treat cuts and other injuries.
Neither Pet Perks nor Santa Rosa County recommends leaving your pets at home during a hurricane. But if you must do so, decide on an inside room where they will be as safe as possible – a large bathroom or tiled room may be the best location. Separate larger pets from smaller pets (see below). Provide water and food for as many as seven days. Use self-feeders, especially for birds. Cover birdcages with thin fabric or sheets.
Staying at home
If you will ride out a storm at home, make sure pets are inside and kept away from windows. In stressful times, larger animals may attack smaller ones, so keep pets separate. Ask your veterinarian about medicines that may help calm pets. Fill a bathtub and several containers with water for drinking, cooking and flushing toilets until water service is restored.
After the storm
If you left your pets at a kennel, reclaim them as soon as possible after you return. Your pet’s behavior may change after a storm; keep them on leashes. Be careful of snakes and other dangers, such as downed power lines. Don’t let pets eat anything from outside.
Call Pet Perks to check on how we may help you get through the first few days following a storm. Emails may not be accessible immediately.
