Making an emergency plan for your pets is as important as creating one for your family. In light of National Preparedness Month, follow these important tips to prepare your pets for the unexpected.

• Prepare to evacuate your pets: Make sure your pest can stay with you if you and your family must evacuate, whether it’s a pet-friendly hotel, emergency shelter, or the house of friends or family.
• Have a team in place: If you are unable to reach your pets in an emergency, have a plan in place. Ask neighbors, friends, or relatives if they would be available to care for or evacuate them if you cannot. Make sure they have spare keys to your home, the name of a trusted vet, and other pertinent information.
• Microchip your pet: Have your pet microchipped by your vet or local shelter and keep your contact information current in the chip manufacturer’s database, such as HomeAgain or PetLink. Be sure to also register your pet’s microchip with Found Animals, a free, universal registry run by the Michelson Found Animals Foundation, which was founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
• Build an emergency kit for your pet: Your pet should have a smaller version of the emergency kit you have for your family. Think first of the essentials, such as water, food, medicine, etc. Be sure to also think about other items such as collars, leashes, grooming and sanitation products, or familiar toys or blankets to comfort your pet. Also, have pictures of you and your pets together in case you become separated.

Learn more about the actions you can take to ensure your pets’ safety in any disaster by visiting ReadyHarris.org and Ready.gov.