June Is National Pet Preparedness Month

Do you have a pet that is your best friend?  Is there a fur-baby in your life that you created an Instagram page for?  If so, you might want to pay closer attention.  June is National Pet Preparedness Month and what better time to take a moment to give a little thought to ensuring that our four-legged (or no-legged or two-legged) friends are part of our family emergency planning process. As we prepare to enter the summer months which are sure to include extreme heat, thunderstorms, lightning and a tropical storm or hurricane, now is as a good a time as any to think about what we can do for our pets should one of those events affect us.

Many people in this country will readily admit that they are underprepared for a disaster and far fewer have taken the time to create emergency kits let alone actually exercise a family emergency plan. Thus, it is only reasonable to assume that even less time has been spent on planning for our pets if we haven’t done so for ourselves. With that in mind, Prince William County Emergency Management would like to encourage everyone to spend a little time thinking about such things so that you can empower yourselves to take care of these important members of our homes.

Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

• Ensure that you have a plan which addresses evacuation and caring for your pets. 
• Be sure to get an emergency kit together for your pet which will include things like food, water, first aid, a collar with ID tag, some grooming items along with medications and sanitation items. 
• Have a photocopy of your veterinarian information/records and a physical photo of you and your pet which will assist in identification should you get separated. 
• Get your pet microchipped, again should you get separated.

If you’re able to plan for these things before a disaster happens, it will reduce your stress level and make things easier for both you and your pet. For more information, please go to www.pwcva.gov or follow @ReadyPWC on Twitter or Facebook.