Hurricane Preparedness for Pets

As a team of pet owners, we know that pets are members of the family too. Ensuring your pet is prepared for an emergency can facilitate a smooth evacuation for you and your furry friends. The St. Johns County Emergency Management Team put together a “Disaster Kit” checklist for our pets. This includes:

• Your written family/pet disaster plan
• Crate/carrier and bedding
• Food, water, manual can opener, and dishes
• Plastic bags, paper towels, newspaper
• Cleaning supplies, disinfectants
• Collar, leash, harness
• Muzzle, gauze rolls
• Identification tags
• Current medical and vaccination records
• Extra medications or copies of current prescriptions
• Current photos of you and your pet (s) together
• Pet comfort items: towels, blankets, toys
• A list of hotels, motels, shelters, and boarding kennels that accept pets
• Detailed instructions for animal care and rescue workers
• First aid kit for your pet (s)
• Labels for all pet supplies with your name, address, and telephone number

Pet Friendly Lodging in Ponte Vedra and Jacksonville

Here is a list of resources to help find pet-friendly lodging, if you would like to evacuate to a hotel:

• Bring Fido
• Official Pet Hotels
• Pet-Friendly Hotels
• Pets Welcome
• Trips With Pets

Pet-friendly shelters for St. Johns County residents include:

• South Woods Elementary School
• 4750 SR-206 West
• Timberlin Creek Elementary School
• 555 Pine Tree Lane

Pet-friendly shelters in Duval County include:

• Chimney Lakes Elementary School
• Landmark Middle School
• Legends Community Center
• Mandarin Middle School
• Atlantic Coast High School

Pre-registration is not required for a public pet-friendly shelter. You are required to stay at the same shelter as your pets and care for them. For admission to a pet-friendly shelter, you will need a photo ID and proof of your dog and/or cat's updated rabies shot and rabies license. Dogs, cats, rodents (such as hamsters, gerbils, etc.), rabbits, and birds are allowed in the shelters.

You must bring the following for your pets:

• Airline approved pet carriers
• Cage liners
• Proper ID collar and rabies tag
• Leash
• Food supplies - at least three days
• Water and food bowls
• Pet medications - if necessary
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum pans work well)
• Litter or paper towels
• Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
• Comfort items for your pet (such as blankets and toys)

Now that we know how to prepare our pets for Florida hurricane season, check out our blog post on hurricane preparedness for you and your family!