Prepare ahead for safety and comfort of your pet

Do not leave pets at home, especially if you live in an evacuation area. Even if they survive the storm, they might flee a damaged home and be lost in the chaos.

Where to take your pet

It might be difficult, if not impossible, to find shelter for your animals in the midst of a disaster, so plan ahead.

Hotels: In advance, contact hotels and motels outside your area to check policies on accepting pets and restrictions on number, size and species. Ask whether “no pet” policies could be waived. Keep a list of “pet-friendly” places, including phone numbers, with other disaster information. For an impending storm, call ahead for reservations. The Web site petswelcome.com maintains a list of hotels that accept pets.

Friends, relatives: Ask friends, relatives or others outside the area whether they could shelter your animals. Make arrangements with neighbors to help evacuate pets in the event you can’t get home.

Pet-friendly shelters: See the shelter maps on this site.

Other tips

Vaccinate your pet. If you haven’t already done so, get those shots now. Infectious diseases can become a big threat after a disaster.

Get your pet an ID tag. If a pet becomes lost or escapes during the confusion of an evacuation, proper identification will increase the chances of a safe return home. Tag should include your cell number and, if space allows, the number of an out-of-town contact. Consider having your pet tattooed or ‘microchipped.’

Get a pet carrier. You will need a pet carrier or cage for each dog, cat, bird or small animal. Make sure it is large enough for each pet to stand up and turn around comfortably.

Take clear, color photos (frontal, left and right sides) of you with your pet, and store these with your pet’s license, medical records and ownership papers in a waterproof carrier to take with you. Include pictures of the pet with you to help with any challenge to your ownership. Take photos with your cellphone so they’re stored there as well.

PET DISASTER KIT