June is Pet Preparedness Month and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency wants you to learn about the potential difficulties you and your pets face in an emergency.  IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau wants families to have a plan what to do in an emergency to keep their pet safe. 

The IEMA recommends the following to keep you and your pets safe during an emergency: Have a plan and don’t wait to the last minute to get ready. You can also create a pet preparedness kit with medications, non-perishable food, water, bowls, cat litter and pan, waste bags, a blanket, bedding for pocket/exotic pets, toys, first aid kit, and current photos of you and your pets.  It is also helpful to grab copies of medical records. 

IEMA encourages you to choose a safe place ahead of time if you need to evacuate. If you must shelter in-place, identify a safe area of your home where you can stay together including keeping dogs on leashes and cats in carriers.  Don’t allow pets to roam loose in a damaged home or neighborhood and coordinate with a friend, relative, or neighbor someone to take care of pets and their disaster kits, then meet you in a specific location.

Many shelters or other emergency centers have policies about no pets due to health and safety concerns so make sure you have a plan in place well ahead of that.  Find out more by visiting https://www2illinois.gov/ready/plan/Pages/Animals.aspx. You can also find out information about IEMA by visiting www.Ready.Illinois.gov.