Sandy, Sandy, Go Away!!

I don't like rain...at all, so thankfully we aren't any where near the hurricane!! Sadly though, there are over 60 million people (and pets) across the Eastern coast that might be affected by Sandy's nasty temper! Boo!!

Via Fidose of Reality

I know it's too late for most of the coast, but I wanted to pass along a load of information for all of you (especially your Moms and Dads) that might be affected now or possibly in the future with another storm!

First of all, Sandy specific information:

(Image Credit: Kathy Kmonicek/AP Photo)

• Thanks to George The Duck, I've found out that there is a Sandy Roll Call (#SandyRollCall) spreadsheet available for all animals who is affected by the hurricane, so you can check in and be checked on! Along with a Sandy Anipal Information Facebook page!
• As he has amazing information, please start with George The Duck for all Sandy Hurricane information...then check out other places!
• According to the Mayor's Alliance For NYC Animals: Under New York City Law, (1) During times of evacuation, a cab driver may not turn down a fare who is bringing a pet along. (2) An evacuation center must accept any pet as long as he/she is accompanied by a human and either leashed or in a carrier.
• A Sandy Lost and Found Pet's page has already been established on Facebook, to help reunite pet parents and their animals! 
• NYC's hurricane evacuation shelters have to accept pets as long as they are accompanied by a human and have a leash/carrier!! New York area animal care and control facility information can be found here!

No matter where you live, you should always have a disaster preparedness plan in place! Since I live in California, the land of crazy earthquakes, Domeek, my brothers, and I all have an earthquake plan in place! We know what to do, where to go, and what to take with us! Even if you don't live anywhere near earthquakes or hurricanes, it's definitely smart to have a plan in place; have you heard of tornadoes, volcanoes, tsunamis, mud slides, blizzards...omd, Mother Earth certainly has a lot of issues to deal with!

I suggest taking a look at the Humane Society of the United State, the ASPCA, PetFinder, and, of course, FEMA's own disaster preparedness plans for lots of incredibly helpful information!

I also suggest putting together a pet (and human) first aid kit, just in case something happens in the hustle and bustle of an evacuation or shut-in!

PetWave and the American Red Cross both have great compilations of everything that you might need, if you choose to build your own kit! These items include: a crate/carrier, thermometer, Vaseline, hydrogen peroxide, karo syrup, medical bandages/gauze, small flash light, hot/cold pack, emergency heat blanket, tweezers, saline solution, and a card with your vet's phone number, address, and directions. These are just the basics, so you might want to add or take away certain items for your pet specifically (especially their food, some toys, and an item from your wardrobe)!

If you don't want to make your own kit 21st Century, AKC, and QuakeKare all have great, per-packaged kits available to purchase! I still suggest adding your own personal items as well!

It also might be helpful if you took a Pet CPR class, that way you could be able to assist not only your own pets but also others if needed?!

It's very important to plan ahead of time and know exactly where you can take your pet in the event of an emergency or evacuation! Do you have a relative or friend that lives near, but out of the evacuation zone? How about a hotel or motel that you can count on? The ASPCA has a list of animal-friendly accommodations that you can take a look at, if you don't have one or two available! What about a vet or a shelter that has agreed to take animals in during disaster times? These are all very important things to know before a disaster hits!

I know that we don't want to think about what might happen in the event of an emergency, but in order to be a good pet parent or doggie brother/sister these are the things that we need to plan on! Everyone will be happier and safer if there is a plan to speed the process up, ensure our friends' well-beings, and live a long life!

Ok, Professor Goose's lecture is over for today!! ;-D

Sending lots of paw-sitive thoughts out to all my doggie and kittie friends who are in the middle of Sandy's mess!! Stay safe everyone!