Many people say their pets are considered members of the family but experts said when families make emergency plans -- furry friends are often overlooked.
Officials said taking a few minutes to consider what you would do, and where you would go with your pets during an emergency could protect your pet’s life.
Dale George is a Spokesperson for the Emergency Management Homeland Security Division of Michigan. He said when an emergency occurs it's often too late to figure to what to do with your pet.
“You want to make sure your well being is, you know, you have to take care of yourself but they are concerned about those pets. So if you include them in your emergency preparedness plan then you can be assured that they’ll be cared for if there is an emergency or disaster”.
George said even something like having the food and water bowls ready will help with emergency readiness.
“You want to have a contact list of pet friendly hotels, veterinarians, and out of town friends and family. Because if you need to evacuate you really need to have a plan in place. Many shelters won't accept pets and with a pet that’s like a member of the family people won't want to stay somewhere unless they know their pet will be accepted or cared for”.
On the web: Tips for making emergency plans:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/familypreparedness_color_62898_7.pdf
