LABELLE -- Hendry County Emergency Management  has a lot of suggestions when it comes to keeping pets and farm animals safe during a hurricane:

PETS
The safety of your family pets depends on you, especially in an emergency. During severe weather or other emergency situations, if it is unsafe for you to stay in your home, it is also unsafe for your pets. Don’t leave your pet behind and don’t use your pet as an excuse not to evacuate.

The best plan is to identify a safe location that allows pets. As with your own evacuation plans, the best plan for your pet is to identify a location out of the area that allows pets (e.g. a friend’s home or hotel). Keep in mind that boarding kennels may be without electricity or potable water and have limited personnel and supplies for days to weeks following a disaster. There are many websites that can help you locate hotels that accept pets, such as www.petswelcome.com.

Don’t put yourself, your family and your pet at risk! You are responsible for planning for your pet. Just as you should prepare an emergency kit for yourself, you should also prepare one for your pet. If an evacuation is called for, take your pet-emergency kit with you wherever you go. The safety and successful evacuation of your family and pets depends on a good plan and being prepared with the proper supplies.

All of Hendry County’s evacuation shelters are pet-friendly, but you must be prepared before you go. Bring a crate for your pet if you plan to stay in a Hendry County evacuation shelter. If your pet is not accustomed to being confined, acclimate it to the crate before an emergency to help alleviate stress.  At the public shelters, it is first-come, first-served, and there is no pre-registration required. You must shelter at the school with your pet (in other words, you cannot drop your pet at the shelter and leave). Owners are responsible for feeding, exercising and cleaning up after their pets.

Your pet will need a disaster kit

Make a disaster kit for your pet. Include water, non-perishable food, medications and clean-up supplies. You will need a crate or carrier, collar and leash, and up-to-date vaccination records for your pet. Having a recent photo of your pet will be helpful if you get separated.

Hendry County evacuation shelters accept only domestic dogs and cats.

Farm  animals

When you know there is a storm coming, it's best to prepare everything you possibly can to reduce the amount of property damage to your farm and reduce the chance of injury to your livestock or pets. The decision to evacuate your livestock depends on many factors. If they are in a storm-surge area, flood plain, small pasture or urban area where they will be unable to avoid debris or will be in danger of collapsing buildings, you should consider evacuation. The key to a successful evacuation is to do it early.

Decide in advance how you are going to evacuate and, in case you cannot evacuate, how you and your animals are going to cope with potentially no water, electricity and access to assistance for three or four days or more? Write your plan down and keep it in a place with copies of important papers so that you will be ready in the event you must act quickly.

Know what you will do with your cattle, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, llamas and other livestock before the storm hits. Like humans, animals are susceptible to injury and death caused by flying debris, flooding, and exposure to severe weather.  

• If you plan to move livestock, make arrangements as soon as possible after learning of the approaching storm. Owners of large animals should not attempt an out-of-county evacuation unless they leave at least three days before the storm.

• If large livestock can't be evacuated, turn them loose in larger pastures or pens on high ground with some solid shelter or tall brush and large trees for cover. Livestock should never remain in a closed barn. If the barn is damaged by wind, the animals could be injured or killed.

• Keep livestock feed, hay, horse tack, animal medicine, and other livestock supplies stored in locations that will withstand rising water and high wind.

• Have enough livestock feed on hand for at least a week, and the same amount of water – up to 150 gallons per horse or bovine.

• Stock up on basic veterinary supplies including: bandages, topical antibiotics, ropes, and halters for restraining injured animals.

• Keep a one-month supply on hand of medications and livestock supplements. Label them clearly with feeding instructions in case you cannot be there to administer them.

• Make sure housing, food, and supplies for small animals such as chickens and rabbits are storm ready and able to withstand high winds and rising water. Smaller animals can be brought indoors if necessary. Build temporary pens in a garage.

• Most damage to buildings and animals come from wind and flying objects. Heavy farm equipment should be placed under cover and tied down if possible.

• Keep a written inventory of all livestock, including breeding and expense records, with your important financial papers. If you lose livestock, you may need this kind of paperwork for insurance purposes.

• Make sure livestock branding, tagging or other identification programs are up-to-date in case some of your animals become lost.

• Keep livestock fencing, gates, corrals, and other enclosures in good repair throughout the year. Plan to do it in May of each year before storm season starts

When severe weather strikes, it is sometimes impossible to get the supplies you need to carry on normal life. This includes the ability to maintain your regular livestock feeding schedule. Don't be caught off guard. Here is a table of items you will need to keep livestock healthy through the aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other severe weather event.

In addition to feed, it is important to stock up on livestock supplies before a storm hits:

• Buckets, containers, stock tanks for food, water and supplies,

• Branding and tagging supplies,

• Vaccinations, medications, bandages, and other veterinary supplies,

• Halters and leads.

Prepare vehicles 
Keep trucks, tractors, and similar equipment fueled and ready to use at a moment's notice. DO NOT carry full cans of fuel in your vehicle unless you have a fuel transfer tank that is made specifically for this purpose.

Check to make sure your truck is ready to pull the trailer. Check the trailer hitch to make sure it is secure and in proper working order.

Supplies you may need for vehicles, refueling, and trailers include:

• Fuel transfer tank,

• Fuel transfer pump,

• Gas cans,

• Livestock trailer(s),

• Utility trailer(s),

• Extra hitches, hitch balls, and hitch wiring,

• Tarps and tie-downs.

Poultry
Be sure to include birds in your disaster plans. Plastic poultry transport crates/coops work well for transporting chickens if evacuation is necessary. Vehicle interiors should be warmed in winter or cooled in summer before transporting birds.

Transfer birds to more suitable housing as soon as possible to facilitate feeding and watering. Line crates or cages with shavings or other absorbent material for ease of cleaning. At the evacuation site, house birds away from noisy areas and other flocks, and protect them from the weather and predators.

An evacuation kit for backyard poultry should include:

•  Leg bands with an emergency telephone number and photos of birds that can help you identify them if they escape or get lost,
• Vitamin and electrolyte packs (may help ease stress).

• Feed and water for 7 -10 days,

• Sufficient feeders and waterers for the number of birds,

• Detergent, disinfectant, gloves and other cleaning supplies for cleaning cages,

• Feeders and drinkers,

• Extra absorbent bedding material (newspapers can work temporarily) to line cages or temporary coops,

• If evacuating chicks, consider their special needs (heat, food, equipment).

After the storm ,,,
Here are some tips on what to do after a storm or other natural disaster has passed.

• Livestock owners should not put themselves at risk by checking on livestock during a storm. Check on them immediately after the storm. Check stalls to make sure that they are clear of debris, water and wildlife before putting your horses back in them.

• Check your entire fence line for damage and either repair it or put up emergency orange plastic construction fencing to keep your horses from getting onto roads or other potentially dangerous situations.

• Most animals are used to being outside in bad weather and will simply need clean feed, a dry place to stand, and water to help them recover from stress.

• Make sure livestock have plenty of water and food, which has not been contaminated by pollutants. In some cases, it is necessary to truck in water and food or to remove livestock from contaminated areas. Add a few drops of bleach to standing water to prevent disease.

• Electrolytes and vitamins may also help livestock return to normal. However, you should be prepared for the worst. If animals are injured, be ready to administer first aid or contact your veterinarian.

• Most owners can deal with minor injuries such as cuts. If animals are more severely injured, call your veterinarian. Young animals are more susceptible to stress than older animals and may need more care.

• Bad weather often causes pregnant females near term to give birth. So watch for new baby farm animals.

• Clean up trash, limbs, wire, and damaged equipment that could harm livestock. Clear and repair damaged fences.

• Spray livestock with insect repellent in case of floods to protect against mosquitoes that may carry disease.

• Observe livestock for signs of infectious disease such as pneumonia or foot rot.

• If you’ve lost an animal, contact veterinarians, humane societies, stables, surrounding farms, and other facilities. Listen to the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) for groups that may be accepting lost pets or livestock.

• If you find someone else's animal, isolate it from your animals until it is returned to its owner or examined by a veterinarian. Always use caution when approaching and handling strange or frightened horses or livestock.