Preparing for your pets care before a Hurricane

To keep your pet safe in the event of a hurricane, your choices are to keep the pet with you at home, take it with you if you evacuate, leave it with a friend or board it at a kennel.
Don’t plan to take your pet to a public shelter unless you have pre-registered at a pet-friendly shelter.

At home
Be sure the pet has proper identification. Tags increase the chance of an owner-pet reunion after a storm. Take a picture of your pet, and consider getting a microchip. Microchips can be registered for free at http://www.foundanimals.org.

Keep your pets inside before, during and after the storm. Make sure you have plenty of food and fresh water on hand for your pet.
Arrange to make the pet as comfortable as possible; give it a familiar place to stay and leave a familiar towel. Have on hand a two-week supply of food, water and any medications.

Traveling
Bring along a collar with identification, a familiar towel or blanket, a two-week supply of water and food, a leash and any medications needed.

Call hotels on your route to confirm they take pets.
Shelters
Register for a pet-friendly shelter in advance and show proof you live in a mandatory evacuation zone or mobile home in the county. Pet-friendly shelters do not accept exotic pets such as reptiles or livestock. Owners usually sleep in a different part of the facility than their pets.

In Broward County, the pet-friendly shelter is at Millennium Middle School, 5803 NW 94th Ave., Tamarac. To pre-register, call the Humane Society of Broward County at 954-989-3977. Pets must be current on their vaccinations and must be registered with Broward County. NOTE: You will be required to stay with and care for your pet at the shelter. Pets cannot be dropped off for boarding!
In Palm Beach County, there is a pet-friendly shelter at West Boynton Recreation Center, 6000 Northtree Blvd., Lake Worth. Call 561-233-1200 to pre-register.
Pets should have up-to-date rabies vaccines and wear their county tag at all times. If the pet gets lost, that’s their ticket home. In addition, shelters and kennels will not accept a pet that is not vaccinated and registered. If a pet is microchipped, the chip number must be registered. Readers can register their chip number free at http://www.found.org.
In Broward County, large animal owners can register their pets at the Large Animal Registry at http://www.broward.org/Hurricane/AtoZ/Pages/LargeAnimalRegistry.aspx.
Use your best judgment for large animals and take them out of the area of danger if need be.
Recommended items for your pet survival kit include:
A crate or carrier large enough for the animal to stand and turn around in

Leashes and collars

Two-week supply of food (moist or canned) with manual can opener

Two-week supply of bottled water

Water and food dishes

Cat litter, litter pan and puppy training pads

Favorite toys, blankets and treats

Emergency phone numbers for veterinarian, animal shelters and friends/relatives

Veterinary clinic address and phone number

Veterinary records with rabies certificate and current Broward County license tag number

Medications with instructions (order extra medication as needed)

Cleaning supplies such as newspaper, plastic bags with ties, paper towels, and disinfectant. Remember, your dog will not be able to go outside during the storm!

A photo of you and your pet together (to help prove the pet is yours), and one with the pet by itself, showing any distinguishing marks that will help with identification.