FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       For More Information
May 8, 2007                                                                                                    Liz Compton
                                                                                                                        850-251-5693

TALLAHASSEE—Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson is encouraging people to plan ahead for their animals in the event of an evacuation. Numerous communities have had to evacuate and Bronson says citizens should not wait until the order to evacuate comes to think about how they are going to deal with pets and other animals.

Bronson’s Division of Animal Industry website http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/ai  (click on “Emergency Management”) provides extensive information for owners of large and small animals who may be in harms way.  The website has information on disaster preparedness for animals, emergency animal sheltering, emergency housing for horses, a list of hotels that accept pets and a link to websites that list pet friendly motels.

“Wildfires erupt very quickly and often without warning and people who wait until too late to prepare may end up leaving their animals unattended or refuse to heed evacuation orders,” Bronson said.  “With just a little planning, people can ensure their animals, large and small do not become victims of these fires.”  “People need to understand that many emergency shelters are not able to accept pets so advance planning is imperative.”

• Pets and small animal safety
• Keep ID tags and vaccinations up to date.
• When evacuating, bring proper identification and health papers with you

Prepare a pet survival kit, including food for two weeks, a manual can opener, medications, a pet carrier, and bedding.  If evacuated, properly secure your animals.

• If you plan to board a pet, make written arrangements in advance.
• Contact hotels and motels along your evacuation route to check policies on accepting pets and keep the list handy.

Horses and Livestock

• Keep vaccinations and other health requirements up to date.
• If possible, make arrangements in advance for evacuation of horses. Know where you can take your horses for shelter along your evacuation route.
• Make sure your horse trailer is “ready to go” or other transport arrangements are prepared well in advance.
• Carry your vaccination record and health papers with you as well as handling equipment.

Please have a point of destination before departure and be sure to evacuate as soon as possible to avoid traffic delays.
 
“It is better for everyone if animal owners know where they can take their pets before they need to evacuate,” Bronson said.  “We have many animals still separated from their owners as a result of disasters and we need to take steps to prevent this from happening.”

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