Woof – It’s Pet Preparedness Month

June is Pet Preparedness Month, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) wants you to learn about the potential difficulties you and your pets face in an emergency.

“A pet is an important part of your family and it’s equally important to include your pet in emergency plans,” said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “If you have to evacuate, the single most important thing to you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you,” said Tate-Nadeau. “Don’t wait until the last minute to get ready. If a disaster is imminent, bring your pets into the home and confine them so you can move quickly.”

More pet preparedness tips:

• Have an evacuation plan for your pet

• Create a pet preparedness kit with medications, non-perishable food, water, bowls, cat litter and pan, waste bags, a blanket, bedding for pocket/exotic pets, toys, first aid kit, current photos of you and your pets, and copies of medical records

• Have up-to-date identification on your pet

• Choose a safe place ahead of time if you need to evacuate

• If you must shelter-in-place, identify a safe area of your home where all can stay together - keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers

• Coordinate with a trusted friend, relative, or neighbor to take care of pets and their disaster kits, then meet you at a specific location

• Don’t allow pets to roam loose in a damaged home or neighborhood. Many shelters or other emergency centers do not allow pets because of health and safety concerns, so it is critical that you plan ahead for your pets’ care.