Why pet owners must plan

Public shelters set up for the community during disasters typically will not accept pets. If you wait until the last moment to evacuate, you may have no choice but to go to a public shelter. If such a situation should force you to leave your pets behind, please prepare your children and other family members for the fact that their pets may not survive or may be irretrievably lost before you are able or permitted to return to your home. There is no way to know how long it will be before you are permitted back after the storm. A better option is to be prepared by having a specific plan of action to protect your animals should you be forced to leave your property.

Frightened animals quickly slip out open doors, broken windows or other damaged areas of your home opened by the storm. Released pets are likely to die from exposure, starvation, predators, contaminated food and water, or on the road where they can endanger others. Even normally friendly animals of different species should not be allowed together unattended, since the stress of the storm may cause distinct behavior changes.

Remember: If you must evacuate, conditions are not only unsafe for you, but unsafe for other living creatures as well. Also, some communities have adopted regulations requiring that you not leave pets behind if you have to leave.