YOU ARE HERE: Central Kentucky Home→Collections→Pets

K9 Corner: Families, pets should be prepared for storm season

July 30, 2008|HELEN PALMER

In checking the "storm chasers" Web site, I discovered that they are predicting an "active and intense tornado season for the lower and central Mississippi Valley region." The science daily Web site says basically the same thing. After reading that, I felt it is time to repeat the disaster drill for your family and pets.

Before you hear the sirens wail, there are some precautions you can do to make it easier during a fearful time.

First, make plans for any situation - plan for those at work, plan for those at school, plan for those at various classes (karate, gymnastics, swimming, art, dance etc.) and finally plan for those at home.

In planning for protecting family members who might be elsewhere in the community, check the buildings they usually attend and make sure there is an approved safe area the family member can go to. After doing that bit of research, be sure each member knows how to report in that they are all right and where they are.

Second, make plans for any pets in the family. If the entire family is away during the day, ask a neighbor or friend to look after your pets. Let that person have a key to the part of the house where the animals are and be sure your backup help knows where to take them and where to confine them. It is important that they are confined in some manner so they cannot escape if the house is badly damaged.

Third, create an old-fashioned pantry in your safe area that will hold three gallons of water for each person and animal (depending on the size of the animal). This should be sufficient for three days of confinement if you ration it. You need to also provide dry and canned foods (and a can-opener) for each person and animal.

Just in case you are forced to evacuate your home, have enough cartons or plastic tubs stacked to carry your food and water supplies in. Also, it is important to keep a manila envelope with a current photo of each of your pets, preferably with a family member also in the picture as a positive identification, just in case your animal gets separated from the family group.

Another set of documents to include in this envelope is proof of vaccinations. Be sure the forms the veterinarian gives you has the name of the clinic and the veterinarian's signature. It might not hurt to have a written statement that the animal is in good health.

Your pets should all wear collars with identification tags, but in the case of a severe wind storm or tornado, it might be wise to pin an ID tag to your toddler's or pre-schooler's shirt or jacket. Place tags and safety pins in the manila envelope so they will be available if needed.

Practice a tornado drill now. You may have to blindfold your dog to get him down the basement steps.

|

|

|