If you live in an area where natural disasters such as hurricanes are likely to happen and mandatory
evacuations are issued, you need to be prepare and preparing in advance is key.
For that reason we have put together safety tips for before, during and after the storm to keep your pets safe.
Things to do “before” the storm.
1. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS ALONE.
We strongly recommend that you take your pets with you, but in the event that you have
absolutely no other choice:
DO NOT CONFINE YOUR PET TO A CRATE, DO NOT TIE YOUR PET TO ANYTHING EITHER AND NEVER GIVE YOUR PET ANY TRANQUILIZERS.
If there is damage to your home’s structure and if there is flooding, your pet needs to be free and be able move freely throughout your home , and be as alert so she or he can rely on their own survival instincts.
Animals know what to do, when you let them be themselves, they are wiser than us.
Turn off the electrical power to your entire house, to avoid electrical fires and to avoid your pet from getting electrocuted.
Never leave lamps plugged in or candles lit for your pets.
Leave food and water for at least a week.
Place a large dish with water under the dish of your pet’s food dish, to avoid aunts and other critters from crawling into the food.
Place food dishes high off the ground on a counter or table where your pet can reach it. You can tape the dishes down to avoid being knocked off the surface placed.
When you leave your home, paint, YES paint your door with spray paint with these words:
EVACUATED – PETS INSIDE, CATS – DOGS, ETC. and the number of pets.
Or purchase a Pet Safety Alert window decal here: http://hurricanepetsrescue.org/firstresponse-sticker/
2. Gather and take with you recent photos of your pets. Print the photos and place them in Ziploc bags.
Prepare flyers with a photo of your pet and contact information and print them out so you have them ready to go in the event that your pet goes missing.
Remember to add alternate contact information to the flyers preferably a landline as cell phones towers may not be working.
If you do not have a landline, which most people these days do not, write a back up number of a neighbor or relative, etc. on the flyer as well.
Make sure that the alternate number is not from a person that uses your same telephone carrier company.
This is because telephone carrier towers may not be working but another carrier that runs on a different grid – tower might be, so is always a good back up to use phone numbers with different carriers as contacts.
Do this also when registering you pet with a microchip company.
3. Microchip your pets NOW.
4. Collars and ID Tags. If time doesn’t permit for you to microchip your pet, please make sure your pet is wearing a collar and ID tags on them with as much information as you can fit in the tag.
Telephone numbers, name, address, if the pet takes medications, etc.
If your pets are microchipped already please call your microchip company to make sure your microchip information is up to date and place visible collar and ID tag on your pet as well.
Even though microchips make for very happy reunions, the finder of your pet may not take your pet to be scanned, therefore ID tags make for easy visual.
As an added ID you can always write your telephone with indelible ink maker on the belly of your pet or you can use make this very temporary quick tag. See picture to the right. 
5. Have A Plan. Have a plan and follow that plan, pick a leader and follow the leader!
6. Do not wait until the last minute. If are ordered to evacuate GO.
DO NOT wait until the last minute to do so.
Know where you are going and know in advance the safe routes to take to get to destination.
Call ahead, so you know which evacuation shelters are near you, and which ones are the ones that allow pets, ask what their requirements are.
7. As you pack for yourself, pack for you pets.
What to pack:
Medications (at least a 2 week supply).
Your pet’s medical (vaccination records).
Leashes, DO NOT use retractable leashes, they are useless and you have no control of your dog.
Buy a plain old 7 foot leash, if you do not have one already.
Carriers.
Portable carriers should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around, lay down and fit a litter box.
Carriers should be one carrier per pet.
Cardboard boxes are not approved pet carriers and are not secure, do not transport your pet in a cardboard box.
Never put 2 pets in the same carrier even if they are bonded.
Water bowls, food bowls.
Cages, metal wire cages.
Muzzle, if your pet is aggressive towards other pets or people.
Litter Boxes.
Wee Wee pads.
Bottle water (at least a 2 week supply)
Food, both wet and dry (at least a 2 week supply)
Even if your pet doesn’t eat can food, it is wise to pack a supply of it.
Dry food can get wet and spoil in the event of flooding.
Keep pets on the same diet if you evacuate to a friend or relative home or if you have evacuees come to your home, please instruct everyone not to give your pets any other food that isn’t theirs.
Most veterinary clinics and emergency clinics near where you are going may not be open, therefore you do not want to add to your pets being ill because of table scraps or foods that they aren’t accustomed to eating.
Battery operated candles and flashlights.
Bed and blankets for your pet so they have a familiar scent.
Toys.
Sanitation materials, such as waste pick up bags, litter scoops, etc.
8. Call ahead. Call hotels, boarding facilities, shelters and family ahead of time to make sure they are ok with you bringing your pets with you.
Many shelters require pre-registration, therefor is always wise to call ahead.
9. Practice. Practice unloading and loading your pets into carries.
10. Cat smart. If you have cats know in advance where your cats may hide when in distress and scare.
11. Pack a small cooler with ice for pet medications that need to be refrigerated.
12. Pet Emergency Kit. Pack and emergency kit for your pets that contains:
Absorbent gauze pads
Adhesive tape
Cotton balls or swabs
Fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting (always check with veterinarian or
animal poison control expert before giving to your pet)
Ice pack
Disposable gloves
Scissors with blunt end
Tweezers
OTC antibiotic ointment
Oral syringe or turkey baster
Liquid dishwashing detergent.
Towels
Small flashlight
Alcohol wipes
Styptic powder
Saline eye solution
Artificial tear gel
Phone number, clinic name, address of your veterinarian as well as local veterinary
emergency clinics nearby of where you are going.
13. Bring your pets indoors and never ever leave pets in a car.
14. Secure pet doors and gates so your pet cannot go outside on his or her own.
Walk your pets on a leash even if it is in your own backyard.
15. Buddy System. Have a buddy system and exchange pet information, evacuation plans and house keys with friends family and neighbor’s in the event that you cannot get to your pets on time your buddies
can evacuate your pets for you.
16. Pet Gear. Check your pets gear, make sure carriers latch properly and that all latches or bolts and wing nuts are secure.
Make sure leashes and collars are secure.
Make sure to ONLY put breakaway collar on cats. Do not use harnesses they can get stuck and your cat cannot get out of them.
17. If you care for feral cat colonies please follow the guidelines of Alley Cat Allies for feral cats caregivers here: https://www.alleycat.org/texas-residents-and-animals-in-path-of-powerfulhurricane/
18. Practice, practice, practice, do a drill and try things out before it gets real.
19. Pet Friendly Accommodations. Check ahead in your state or elsewhere , for pet friendly hotels and their requirements.
Not all pets are require to take in your pet, just because their is a storm: The PETS ACT
20. Pet Air Travel. If you plan to travel via air to get away from the storm, please DO NOT ship your pets cargo.
Pets that are less than 20 pounds can travel in the cabin with you in the continental USA.
If your pet is over 20 pounds and you travel, please drive with your pet to destination.
The cargo hold is the cargo hold, no matter what the airline tells you, there is no special accommodations for your pet in the cargo hold.
Cargo holds are designated for baggage – cargo, hence the name, not for pets.
Cargo – luggage shifts in the cargo hold at takeoff and landing and so will your pet in his or her kennel.
The cargo hold is either too hot or too cold, is very dark and incredibly loud.
NOBODY will check on your pet in-flight while in the cargo hold!
If your pet is in distress and needs immediate medical attention, or if something landed on his or her kennel or your pet dies, nobody will notice until baggage is unloaded and even then your pet may sit on the ramp for a while, nobody may even notice that your pet is in need of help or that
is dead until is reunited with you!
21. Help an elderly neighbor or disable one with their pets.
22. Offer to foster a pet in need at a public shelter until the storm passes.
These animals are homeless and many shelters DO euthanize when a disaster strikes.
If you like to become a disaster relief foster with us, please fill out our DISASTER RELIEF APPCATION.
23. KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ZONE: https://flash.org/2017EvacuationZones.pdf
Things to do “during” the storm.
1. Choose a room in your home for you and your pets to be together and stay in that room, until
the storm passes.
This way, In the event that things go south and you need to evacuate in a hurry you will know
exactly where your pets are.
2. Carriers and leashes should be in that room.
3. Keys, flashlights and an AXE (in case your home exits get blocked, you can escape) must be in that
room, no power tools.
4. Safe routes information and shelter information that allow pets, should be in that room, in an accessible place.
5. Shoes, always wear shoes, in the event that you need to get out in a hurry.
Preferably rubber shoes for isolation from the ground.
6. Do not give your pets any tranquilizers, you may resort to “Rescue Remedy” an all-natural stress reliever or calming collars (but calming collars NO on cats because they are not breakaway and cat endanger your cat life).
Always remember that your pet needs to be alert to be able to relay on his on her survival instincts if things get bad.
7. Stay calm, your pets will be stressed already as they feel these storms 10 times more than
humans do, even before they happen.
A calm pet owner, makes a calmer pet.
8. Remember to comfort and re-assure your pet and provide play time for them as well.
A little catnip for cats goes a long way and even for a moment takes their senses out of storm mode.
Storm aftermath.
1. Assess the area for damages and danger, such as power lines being down and contaminated
water before talking your pet for a walk.
2. DO NOT let your animals outside unless you know for a fact that is it safe.
3. Walk dogs on a leash. Distressed animals can run away even from your own backyard and because of all the different smells in the aftermath of a storm, your pet may become confused and may not be able to find their way back home.
4. Keep cats confined to a room or crate (1 cat per crate if they are adults) until things are back to normal or close to normal as possible.
If you use a crate make sure that your cat and move around the crate properly, that she or he can fully stand up and lay down comfortably.
Always keep the litter tray as far away as possible from the food an water bowl.
5. If you had evacuated with your pets to a friend or family member home and your pet or pets are cats that you usually let them go outdoors at home, DO NOT LET THEM GO OUT AT ALL.
Is just an unfamiliar place to them and they will get lost.
They will try to go back home to what they know and that is when they will get into trouble and get lost.
Keep them confined to a room at all times or to a crate, or bathroom until you are back home.
6. Always use battery operated candles, regular candles are easily tipped over by pets and are a fire hazard.
7. Be on the lookout for neighbor’s pets that may be lost.
8. Never light barbecues grills inside your home or turn generators on inside of your home.
9. Keep Lighter fluid and matches away from pets at all times.
10. If your pets are lost, familiarize yourself with reputable organizations that are helping storm victims and inform them of your lost pet so then can help locate them.
Check ALL social media sites and alert all rescue groups, county shelters and humane societies in the area, as well as veterinary clinics.
Check the lost and found section and post your lost pet there to: Nextdoor and Front Porch
Beware of scams, yes people may say that have your pet, just to get some money out of you or to lure you into a bad situation.
Due to the above, always ask for a photo of your pet and ask the person to describe them.
Feel free to post on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hurricanepetsrescue/ or e-mail us at info@hurricanepetsrescue.org e-mail and our Facebook page messenger are the fastest way to contact us.
While we do not handle lost and found pets we will be happy to help in getting the word out.
Check local county shelters (GO IN PERSON, EVERY DAY TO CHECK), post flyers, put familiar scents like a dirty T shirts with your scent around your home, etc.
11. If your pet is a cat and is lost, DO NOT PUT A LITTER BOX OUTSIDE, contrary to what some people advise, we do not advise doing this at all.
This can attract other predators and put your cat yet in more danger.
Remember that cats do cover their business for that some reason, so predators cannot track them.
Alert everyone that you see walking around the area and provide them with a flyer of your pet.
Your cat may be closer than you think, a scared cat will often hide during the day and only venture out late at night.
12. Do not let your dogs swim or drink in flood waters, is contaminated and can make him or her very sick.
You do not want a pet sick at a time when most vet clinic are closed.
13. Check your county’s web site or the county where you are staying at, and see if there is a boil water advisory in effect, if there is please boil the water or provide bottle water to your pets to drink.
14. This is a stressful time for you and your little ones, remember to give them all the attention and love that you can.
15. If you find a pet, please make sure that the pet you found is taken to animal control or humane society near you so it can be properly entered into the system.
You do not have to leave the pet there if you do not wish to do so, but you do have to make sure that that pet is entered into the system.
Do not just give the pet to people that you may see rescuing animals in the disaster areas, this includes organization that may become popular and Facebook rescue groups.
Not all orgs have good intentions, some do it for the money not for the animals, oftentimes in disasters many lost and found pets, just disappear into thin air.
Always do your research please and dig in deep.
16. Donate wisely, donate locally and donate to small organizations.
County shelters and humane societies will need your donations the most.
Organizations like us exclusively disaster relief, we work directly with our shelter partners and we also intake owner surrenders and disaster relief foster animals. We can always use cash donations, our stellar animal rescue efforts speak for itself.
You do not have to donate to us but if you like to is appreciated and you can do so here
Be safe, plan ahead and stay safe together with your pets!
REMEMBER THESE WORDS WHEN DRIVING IF THE STREETS ARE FLOODED: “TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.
Hurricane Pets Rescue Inc. is a national all breed 501 C3 disaster relief nonprofit – registered trademark with headquarter in Miami Beach, Florida since 2025
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