AKC REUNITE REMINDS OWNERS TO INCLUDE THEIR PETS IN THEIR DISASTER PLANS ON NATIONAL ANIMAL PREPAREDNESS DAY

RALEIGH, N.C., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- May 8^th is National Animal Preparedness Day and AKC Reunite wants to remind you to include your pets in your disaster preparedness plans. Storms, flooding, and wildfires across the country have been heartbreaking for owners and their pets. But it is prior to disasters like these that the need for emergency preparedness is evident. It's important for pet owners to ensure they are prepared with the supplies they need should they have to evacuate their homes. 

To celebrate National Animal Preparedness Day and raise awareness about disaster preparedness for animals, AKC Reunite suggests the following tips: 

• NEVER leave your pet behind and stranded in a hazardous situation!
• Always make sure your pet's microchipping records are up to date.
• Add an Alternate Contact (who is out-of-state) to your pet's record in the event you and your pet are separated, and you become unable to be reached because phone lines are down.
• Pack a "Go-Bag" for you and your pet so you can immediately follow all emergency management directives.
• Follow all local Emergency Management directions.
• Refer to the AKC Reunite Emergency Planning Guide for more information and guidance on how to keep your pet safe.

AKC Reunite has donated funds to support the work of rescues and shelter organizations that save and reunite pets with their owners during natural disasters and has donated 111 trailers nationwide to assist communities in caring for pets during these difficult times. The AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer is stocked with essential supplies to house at least 65 pets the critical first few days after a disaster is declared. A generator is on the trailer as well as crates, pet carriers, bowls, collars and leashes, microchips, a microchip scanner, fans, cleaning supplies, maintenance equipment, administrative supplies, training materials and much more to allow emergency personnel to put together co-location or lost-and-found pet shelters. 

For more information on pet preparedness during national disasters, visit https://www.akcreunite.org/disasterpreparedness/. 

To learn more about AKC Reunite or AKC Pet Disaster Relief, visit www.akcreunite.org/relief.  

AKC Reunite
The way home for lost pets. 

AKC Reunite, an affiliate of the American Kennel Club®, is the largest non-profit pet microchip identification and recovery service provider in the United States. Since 1995 AKC Reunite has helped pet owners reunite with their lost animals via identification and 24/7 pet recovery specialists, enrolling over 10 million companion animals and recovering more than 650,000 lost pets. AKC Reunite microchips are a popular choice of pet professionals throughout the country for permanent pet identification. 

AKC Reunite has donated more than $10 million since 2002 for pet-related causes including disaster preparedness and relief like the AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer donation program. AKC Reunite also has the Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program to help police departments acquire new K-9 officers.  For more information visit www.akcreunite.org or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/akcreunite). 

SOURCE AKC Reunite