Pet Calendar: National Animal Safety and Protection Month
October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month and with Hurricane Matthew barreling across the East Coast of the United States, this is a great time to review the measures you have in place for your pets and their safety in the event of a natural disaster. The annual celebration was started by the PALS Foundation as a way to “observe and promote appropriate ways to protect and care for domestic and wild animals and help people strengthen their skills for staying safe around animals.”
Here are some ways you can get involved in National Animal Safety and Protection Month
- Make certain your pets get their annual veterinarian check-ups and any necessary medical treatments. (Spay and neuter, among them)
- If your animals are outside, they should be in an enclosed area, safe from predators and so they cannot run away. If you don’t have an enclosed area, keep your pets on leashes.
- Make sure your pet has a collar, identification tag, or better yet, is microchipped for safety.
- Don’t feed your pet table scraps; this leads to obesity and many “human” foods can make your pet ill.
- Clean your pets bedding regularly.
- Have plans in place in the event of an evacuation (think, Hurricane Matthew), have go-bags ready for yourselves and your pets. Know where you can go with your pets to ride out a weather emergency. Don’t wait until the last minute to make your arrangements. Talk with friends, family or look for hotels or shelters that will take you and your pets. Make certain, especially in this instance, that your pet is wearing a collar with an identification tag on it.
Are you and your pets ready in the event of an emergency? What have you done recently to assure your pets’ safety and protection?
Check out our October Pet Calendar.
Check out our Annual Pet Calendar.
