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Make Arrangements For Your Animals

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 27, 2008

Updated: 05/28/2008 07:23 pm

Preparing for hurricane season requires extra planning if you have pets. Here's a look at your options.

Friends and family: Your best option is to get a friend or relative outside the evacuation area to take your pets (and preferably you, too), emergency planners say.

Pet-friendly motels: Try locating a pet-friendly motel or one that waives animal prohibitions during evacuations. Check out these Web sites for help:

• www.petswelcome.com

•www.pets-allowed-

hotels.com

•www.petfriendlytravel

.com

• www.dogfriendly.com

• www.planet-pets.com

Kennels: Check with your veterinarian for safe kennels that will keep pets during a storm. A list of kennels in Hillsborough County is available through the Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation at www.hahf.org.

Public shelters: Space in public shelters in the Bay area is limited, and animal experts suggest you make other shelter plans now. Experts warn that public shelters can create a lot of stress for your pets and in general are not the best option.

Here are the pet-friendly shelters in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties:

•Clearwater: Oak Grove Middle School, 1370 S. Belcher Road

•Dunedin: Dunedin Highland Middle School, 70 Patricia Ave.

•Eagle Lake: Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Road

•Haines City: Alta Vista Elementary School, 801 Scenic Highway

•Lakeland: Lime Street Elementary School, 1225 E. Lime St.

•Land O'Lakes: Pineview Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd.

•Seffner: Burnett Middle School 1010 N. Kingsway Road

•St. Petersburg: Thurgood Marshall Middle School, 3901 22nd Ave. S.

•Tampa: Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Highway

RELIEVE PET STRESS

•Spend time now getting your pet comfortable in its crate or carrier.

•If the animal has never traveled in a car, take it for rides in the carrier.

•Some animals may require tranquilizers. Discuss this now with your veterinarian.

Sources: Pinellas and Hillsborough County animal services

WHAT TO BRING

•A crate or carrier for transporting the animal, a leash and a muzzle, if you think your pet may bite. Put on the crate the name and telephone number of a relative outside the threatened areas, plus the name and number of your veterinarian.

•A week of pet food, toys, kitty litter and a blanket with the owner's scent to make the pet feel more at home

•First-aid kit or two weeks' supply of special medications your pets need

•A document from your veterinarian showing that your pet is current on its rabies vaccinations. Most shelters will not take pets older than 4 months that have not been vaccinated.

•Have an identification microchip implanted in your pet, and have it wear a collar with an identification tag.

•Have a picture of your pet, preferably one taken with the family. That makes it easier to prove ownership.

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