CLAY COUNTY – Now that hurricane season is here, Clay County residents should be preparing now for both themselves and their pets. Unfortunately, pets and large farm animals are often forgotten about and left behind during a storm.

John Ward, the Director of Emergency Management, has a few suggestions for how pet owners can be ready for hurricane season.

“Make a kit for your animals just as you would do for yourself,” Ward said.

This kit should include important paperwork such as vaccinations or health certificates, food and water that can last the pet for five-to-seven days, any medication and a carrier for travel. Other items to include would be cat litter and a litter box for cats, bedding, leashes and toys to keep them occupied. Everything in a pet emergency kit will be required if pet owners have to go to a pet-friendly shelter.

Pet-friendly shelters should be seen as a last resort for pet owners. Spaces are limited and pet-friendly shelters aren’t available unless there’s an evacuation alert. The locations for these shelters are not announced until the storm is imminent. Pets that are accepted into these shelters are dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits and birds. Families are encouraged to make an emergency evacuation plan that includes their pets.

For large animals such as horses and cows, Ward believes it’s important not to keep them locked in a barn so that they have a chance to escape from danger.

“The biggest thing for large animals is not to coop them up because animals have the ability to get away from danger unless they are locked in a barn.” Ward says. “For large animals, it's really about being able to identify them, either through the animal having a chip or putting an address on them.”

It’s especially important for owners of horses and other large animals to have emergency evacuation plans as these animals are commonly left behind and given no access to escape. Equestrian owners should have a location for where to go in the event of an emergency evacuation. Currently, there is only one equestrian shelter available in North Florida, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center at 13611 Normandy Blvd.

It's important for pet owners to start planning ahead for natural disasters to save both human lives and pet lives. For more information on how to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, visit alert.claycountygov.com where there is a section on pets under the disaster preparedness tab.