Don't let hurricane season get you down!

Thankfully, these events can be predicted well in advance, which gives you plenty of time to put together a hurricane preparedness plan for yourself and your pet(s). Regardless of the time of year, our veterinarians suggest creating a safety and evacuation plan, and rehearsing it step by step so you'll be able to act quickly should the need arise. Our veterinary team in Houston, Texas knows how devastating natural disasters can be for people and their pets. Therefore, we've included safety guidelines below to help you know what to do, and where to start.

Important Pet Safety Tips

We recommend taking the following steps to prepare yourself and your pets for a potential emergency. The sooner you start, the better!

Have your pets vaccinated and up-to-date on their parasite preventatives. If they need to be boarded at an animal shelter or some other safe haven, it is essential that they be immune to contagious diseases.

Arrange to have your pets stay with a friend or relative who lives in a safe area, if possible. Also reach out to animal shelters, animal hospitals, or other places that might be accepting animals. Wherever you choose to place your pets in the event of an emergency, make sure the location is on or close to your evacuation route.

Make sure your pets are all wearing collars with updated ID tags and have been microchipped. Pets can get lost easily, especially if they become scared. Also, carry photos of your pets with you.

Put together an emergency pet supply kit that includes:

• Your pet's medical records
• Medications and/or supplements
• Pet carriers (for smaller pets)
• Plenty of food and water
• Leashes and collars, and a muzzle or two if necessary

Try to keep your pets as calm as possible during stormy weather, or when you're traveling together.

To track the weather and receive the latest updates on storm developments, you can go to noaa.gov. This is a valuable resource for all things weather-related, and also includes helpful information about safety, alert-system changes, hazards, and more.