September 14, 2022 Pet Safety Pets and Family

September is National Preparedness Month: How to Protect Your Pets

A veterinary professional kissing a dog

September is National Preparedness Month: How to Protect Your Pets

September is National Preparedness Month. New Yorkers have faced many challenges over the past two decades, starting with 9/11, followed by Hurricane Sandy and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. People and pets have been affected by all three of these disasters. The 2022 theme for National Preparedness month is: “A Lasting Legacy.” This theme encourages everyone to prepare for disasters to protect your family’s legacy. Today’s blogpost will focus on what pet families can do to prepare for a potential disaster.

How to Protect Your Pet Against House Fires

We may not consider a house fire a disaster like we consider a flood or hurricane but, to the affected family, it is. Be sure your family has a fire plan in place, and that the plan includes your pets. The ASPCA offers a pet safety pack which contains stickers for your door to alert first responders to pets in the home. Similar stickers can also be purchased online or downloaded from a variety of websites.

How to Protect Your Pet from Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is defined by temperatures that hover 10 degrees or more above the average high temperature for the region, last for prolonged periods of time, and are accompanied by high humidity. The past few weeks in New York City have seemed like endless extreme heat to me. Pets are vulnerable to extreme heat and develop heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Preventing heat-related illness in our furry friends means exercising early or late when temperatures are cooler, providing plenty of water to drink and staying on the shady side of the street. Read a prior blogpost for more information on preventing heat-related illness.

Pets and Evacuations

Many disasters involve an evacuation, and your pet will need to evacuate with the rest of the family. Use the handy emergency kit check list from the AMC’s Pet Health Library to make a “go bag” for your pet in case of the need to evacuate.

Please join us at the Pet and Service Animal Preparedness Fair on Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.in Manhattan’s Union Square. Look for members of AMC’s Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education, who will join other NYC non-profits in distributing free materials to educate pet owners on ways to keep their pets and service animals safe before, during, and after an emergency.

Tags: disaster preparedness month, evacuation, extreme heat, house fire, preparedness, preparedness month,

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