As Hurricane Irene approaches, many families are preparing evacuation and disaster preparedness plans. If you have a pet, he or she also should be included in your pre-storm preparations.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a great checklist for how to protect your pets in the event of a hurricane:
- First identify a shelter if you don’t plan to take your pet with you.
- If you do take your pet to a shelter, make sure to provide the facility with your pet's medical records and any emergency contact information
- If you are staying in a hotel, call in advance to see if the hotel will allow pets
- Consider packing a pet survival kit filled with pet food, water, medications, can opener and a first aid kit.
- Make sure your pet has the proper identification tags. Be sure to include your home address, contact number and contact info for where you’ll be staying during the storm.
- Your pet may panic during the storm, so make sure you have a secure pet carrier, harness or leash to keep your pet from wandering out.
If you’re planning to shelter your pet during Hurricane Irene, below is a list of local kennels and boarding places that still have space available as of today:
- Ramapo Kennels, 1545 Route 202, Pomona - (845) 362-1820, http://www.ramapokennels.com/ Space available. Not Open Sunday. Must bring pets on Saturday.
- Bihari Kennels, 121 Smith Rd, Nanuet, NY 10954 (845) 356-1658. Will house both cats and dogs. Pets will need to be brought in on Saturday. Kennel is not open on Sunday.
- Musbro Kennels Ranch House Inc, 183 Route 303, Orangeburg, NY 10962 (845) 359-4550. Space available. Open on Sunday only for pick up, so pets must be dropped off on Saturday.
- Gracelane Kennels, 46 Grace Ln, Ossining, NY 10562, (914) 762-6188 http://www.gracelane.com/. Open Saturday for drop off. Reservations must be made in advance.
- Stoney Brook Kennels, 500 Lake St E, White Plains, NY 10604, (914) 946-0961. Space available, but only for existing customers.
Check this website for other local pet boarding options:
