Here are a few steps you should take before and during hurricane season:

-Make sure that all of your pets are current on their yearly vaccinations and keep their veterinary records with all of your evacuation insurance and health records. If you evacuate you must be able to provide these records if you board your dog at a kennel, veterinarian or shelter. Remember, you may not be able to get in touch with your vet due to power and telephone outages.

-Do not forget to have an evacuation pet supply list to last between 1-2 weeks. This includes any medication you administer to your pet, dog or cat food, leashes, bowls, litter, carriers (labelled with your pets name and your contact information) and fresh water. You may also want to take your pets favorite blanket or toy. If you are staying home during a hurricane threat, remember that you may not have access to a store for a few days, so you must also have these supplies on hand at home.

-Make sure that your pet has an up-to-date identification tag on his or her collar that includes a rabies tag, your pets name and your contact information (cell phone number) in the event that you are separated from your pet. (Or, get your pet microchipped at your local Veterinarian).  It is also a good idea to carry a current photo of your pet.

-If you evacuate and are able to, take your pet with you! This is our personal advice, but is also recommended by The Humane Society of Louisiana and on the Louisiana Emergency Government website. Local Kennels and Veterinarians may be able to accommodate your pet, but, unfortunately, during Hurricane Katrina, our community learned many lessons the hard way.

Even Veterinarians as far away as Jackson, MS lost power and had no way to cool their overcrowded facilities. Many pets died of heatstroke. If you need to find a pet-friendly hotel, please check out our resource guide in this e-newsletter. Also, many hotels who do not normally allow pets will make exceptions during mandatory evacuations. If you evacuate to a friend or family member's house out-of-state and need a reputable boarding kennel or veterinarian in their area, please see our resource guide list.

Hurricane Katrina not only changed the way the public react when evacuating with their pets, it also changed state and federal laws. According to post-Katrina laws, companion animals will now be provided for during disaster planning.

 PETS Act  

Approved by the federal government in 2006, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act contains provisions to include companion animals in all disaster planning. The act requires that local and state governments include pets in all natural disaster evacuation plans and sets aside federal funding to establish pet-friendly emergency shelters. The bill also authorizes FEMA to help evacuate those with pets and just the pets themselves.

Louisiana's Pet Evacuation Law 615