Hurricane season is here, and now is the time to make sure your pets are included in your family’s emergency plans.
Here in Daytona Beach and across Volusia County, severe weather can bring strong winds, flooding, storm surge, power outages, damaged fences, and evacuation orders. These situations can be stressful for families — and especially frightening for pets. A scared dog or cat may slip through an open door, escape through a damaged fence, or become separated from their family during an evacuation.
Before a storm is on the radar, take a few simple steps to help protect your pets.
First, make sure your cat or dog is registered for free on Petco Love Lost before severe weather arrives. Creating a profile and marking your pet as “Safe at Home” is an important preparedness step that adds an extra layer of protection if your pet ever becomes lost. With their profile already in place, Petco Love Lost’s photo-matching technology can help support a faster reunion and bring them safely back home to you.
Next, prepare an emergency evacuation kit for your pet. This should include essentials such as food, water, medications, vaccination records, a leash or carrier, a recent photo, and comfort items. To make planning easier, Halifax Humane Society has created a downloadable Emergency Evacuation Pet Checklist to help you prepare before severe weather arrives.
Emergency Evacuation Pet Checklist
It is also important to stay informed through official hurricane and emergency management resources. Local evacuation information, shelter availability, and storm updates may change depending on the situation.
Helpful resources:
- National Hurricane Center
- NOAA Live Hurricane Tracker
- Volusia County Hurricane Preparedness
- Volusia County Evacuation Information
- Volusia County Pet Planning
Don’t wait for the storm. Register your pet on Petco Love Lost, download our Emergency Evacuation Pet Checklist, and make sure your pets are part of your hurricane plan.
