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Tallahassee Animal Shelter: Think About Pets In Hurricane Plans

Tallahassee Animal Service Center via Facebook

Hurricane Irma is on its way toward Florida and Tallahassee residents are getting ready.  The local animal shelter is encouraging people to be sure they plan for their pets.

Ahead of a storm state officials recommend having at least three days of food and a gallon of water per person per day.  Tallahassee Animal Shelter Assistant Director Michael St. John recommends about the same for pets.

“It’s going to of course depend on pet size,” St. John says, “but look at what you typically give your animal during the course of a week, and try to have three to five days’ worth of food and water—say a gallon of water for your pet per day.”

“You want to makes sure that you have all their things together,” he says, “whatever they need, their medications, a copy of their medical records, identification.”

St. John also says making sure pets have a collar with updated tags or a microchip is important in case pets get separated from their owners.  The Tallahassee animal shelter can insert a chip for a fee without an appointment, but St. John recommends calling ahead to ensure a veterinarian is on hand.

Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.