Protect your four-legged family this Hurricane season

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– As August begins and hurricane season reaches its peak, now is the time to review your disaster preparedness plan — and that includes making sure your pets are ready, too.

During Hurricanes Florence and Helene, some pet owners faced the heartbreaking decision to leave dogs and cats behind because they didn’t have a plan for where to go or how to transport them.

Kitty Block, CEO of Humane World for Animals, says preparing ahead of time can make all the difference when severe weather strikes.

“If you do get separated from your animals in disasters, hopefully that won’t happen, but if it does, we work on reuniting families. The best way to do that is to make sure they have ID tags.”

In addition to ensuring pets wear up-to-date identification tags, Block recommends including pet medications, food, water, vaccination records, leashes or carriers, and other essential supplies in your emergency kit. Planning ahead can help keep every member of the family — including the four-legged ones — safe during a storm.