With the recent string of severe weather in Knoxville and East Tennessee, many of us have taken the time to make a plan to protect our family and belongs should more tornados, hail, or other severe storms hit.

If you are a pet owner, have you thought about how to ensure that your pets safety make it through whatever weather comes are way? If not, it’s not too late. Take a look at this article to determine what type of place you need to have in place to protect your pets.

Make an Emergency Plan to Keep Pets Safe During a Tornado

1. Find a kennel, crate or cage for every animal you have. Buckets work well for fish and turtles. Keep all of the animal carriers together in an easy to get to place inside the house.
2.Choose the safest room in the house for surviving a tornado. A basement is best or the most interior room of the home, preferably a closet or bathroom. Tell everyone living in the house that this is the safe room for tornadoes.
3. Make an emergency food supply for the pets in case it is in short supply or hard to get to after the storm. Get pull tab cans or pouches for easy opening, and you can toss in a cheap bowl or paper plates. Pack a collar and leash for each dog or cat as well.
4. Add an extra gallon or two of water to the family emergency supply. This way there will be plenty to go around.

What To Do When a Tornado Siren Sounds or a Tornado Warning is
Issued

1. Put all pets in cages or carriers and in the safe room when the tornado watch is issued. Animals sense bad weather and will look for a place to hide if they sense it is near. There will probably not be much of an argument from the pets in the safe room where it is quiet.
2. Get all people to the safe room as soon as a tornado warning is issued or a siren is sounded.
3. Stay in the safe room for several minutes after the storm, large tornadoes have an eye so more destruction could be coming. After several minutes of silence, carefully open the safe room door.
4. Leash all pets when outside after a tornado. Power lines could be down and dangerous objects will be littered about everywhere. Do not let pets outside unsupervised.

Credit: eHow article by Christine Cam, How to Keep Pets Safe During a Tornado