Before the Storm
Many vets now consider the Leptospirosis vaccine a core vaccine rather than optional, given how common exposure has become in areas with regular flooding and standing, contaminated water. Consider talking to your vet about whether it’s right for your pet, especially here in the Lowcountry where standing water is a near-constant feature of the landscape, especially after a hurricane.
Review and update the attached Printable Checklist. It also contains contact info for BCAS (Beaufort County Animal Services): 843-255-5010, Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661, ASPCA Disaster Resources: aspca.org/disaster (active only during evacuations), and a national Lost Pet reporting and database: Lost pet database: PetFBI.org, and Red Cross Shelter and Relief Services at 211.org
Build Your Pet’s Go-Bag
Think of this as a grab-and-go kit that lives somewhere accessible year-round. You want two versions if possible — one full kit for sheltering in place, and a lighter version for evacuation.
- Food and water: At minimum three days, ideally seven to ten. Keep food in an airtight, waterproof container. Don’t forget bowls.
- Medications: An extra supply of any medications your pet takes regularly, in a waterproof container. Include dosing instructions.
- First aid kit: Bandage rolls- Vet tape is excellent, bandages, scissors, latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol, saline solution, hydrogen peroxide (3% solution — can be used to induce vomiting in dogs when directed by a veterinarian or poison control; do not use without guidance, dosing matters), and a pet first aid reference guide. Ask your vet what’s most appropriate for your specific pet.
- Carrier or crate: Large enough for your pet to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Practice loading your pet into it or training them to be comfortable with it before you need to — especially cats.
- Collar, ID tag, and leash: Your pet should wear current, secure ID at all times.
- Sanitation supplies: Litter and litter box if applicable, paper towels and plastic bags.
- Comfort items: A favorite toy, treat, or piece of familiar bedding. Stress is real for animals during disasters, and familiar scents can help.
- A photo of you and your pet together: If you’re separated, this helps document ownership and gives others something to work from.
Build Your Pet’s Digital Folder
This one could make all the difference — not just if you’re separated from your pet, but if the place you evacuate to requires proof of vaccinations before they’ll take your animal. Kennels, Rover sitters, and some campgrounds all require current vaccine records. Not having them in a crisis is a genuinely stressful situation that is completely avoidable.
Create a dedicated folder on your phone right now — before you need it. Include:
- Photos of your pet – at least one frontal shot and one full body.
- A lost pet descriptor — find a link here to our printable pdf. It’s a great checklist to ensure you’re not scrambling to remember all the details when you’re in a stressful situation.
- Microchip number and manufacturer — and confirm the registration is current and linked to your current contact information
- Vaccine records — a photo or PDF of your pet’s current vaccination history. This is crucial if you end up needing need a last minute kennel, Rover sitter, boarding facility, or vet during an evacuation. Remember calling your vets office may not be an option as they are likely evacuated as well.
- Vet records and contacts — medications, any ongoing conditions, and your vet’s after-hours or emergency contact number. Also worth searching for a vet in the area you eventually evacuate to.
- If you’re ever separated from your pet far from home, also note: leaving a worn piece of clothing near where your pet was last seen. In an unfamiliar area, a familiar scent may help them find their way back. Register immediately with national lost pet databases. Links are on our Lost & Found page.
Microchip and Register
A microchip without current registration is nearly useless in a disaster. Animals displaced by hurricanes sometimes end up in shelters in other states. If your pet isn’t chipped, or if the registration isn’t current, fix that now — not when a storm is three days out.
See our Affordable Pet Care page for low-cost microchipping options and in the Lowcountry and free registration.
Know Where You’re Going (and have your vet records with you)
Public shelters generally do not accept pets except service animals. Locations aren’t fixed and are announced per-storm by county officials. Don’t rely on last year’s list. Plan ahead instead: identify pet-friendly hotels/rentals now, and know that regional shelters (sometimes outside Beaufort County) occasionally accept crated pets during activation. Red Cross Shelter and Relief Services will have a list of shelters at 211.org. If their shelters do not allow animals they have people who can help.
- Friends or family outside the evacuation zone who can take you and your pets
- Pet-friendly hotels along your likely evacuation routes — call ahead and confirm their pet policy; don’t assume.
- Boarding facilities or veterinary hospitals inland that might take pets during evacuations
- Rover sitters — many Rover sitters offer in-home pet boarding and are a legitimate evacuation option. Per Rover policy, sitters are required to ask for proof of vaccinations, so have those records ready in your digital folder. Search for sitters along your evacuation route before a storm is named — availability disappears fast
- Campgrounds (inland) — an underrated option that many pet owners overlook. Most campgrounds welcome pets, and some are better prepared for emergencies than you’d expect. If you have a tent, a car, or an RV, this is worth having as a backup plan
- Develop a buddy system: Identify a neighbor, friend, or family member who can evacuate your pets if you can’t get home in time. Show them where your go-bag is kept. Have a meeting point established.
If you stay
- Talk to your vet in advance about whether any calming aids or medications are appropriate for your pet during a high-stress event like a hurricane.
- Get a “Pets Inside” Sticker and Place stickers on your doors or windows indicating the number and types of pets in your home. This alerts first responders. If you evacuate with your pets, write “Evacuated with Pets” across the sticker so rescue workers know.
- The ASPCA offers free pet safety packs including window stickers here
Shelter in Place
- Talk to your vet in advance about whether any calming aids or medications are appropriate for your pet during a high-stress event like a hurricane.
- Have your pets kit ready and accessible
- Choose an interior room without windows — a bathroom, closet, or hallway. Bring your entire family there, including your pets. Keep your go-bag in the room with you.
- Do not leave pets in vehicles at any point during a storm.
- Know your pet’s hiding spots. Frightened animals run for cover. Make sure you know where they’ll go so you are able to find them to keep them with you.
After the Storm
The storm passing doesn’t mean it’s safe yet. Downed power lines, sharp debris, displaced wildlife, and standing, contaminated water are all hazards — and your pet won’t know the difference between normal and dangerous terrain.
Before You Go Outside
- Wait for official confirmation that the storm has fully passed before going outside. Walk your property and assess damage before letting children or animals out.
- Keep dogs on leash and cats in a carrier when going outside after a storm.
- Give Pets Time to Reorient: Familiar scents and landmarks may be altered or gone entirely. Pets can become disoriented and lost even in neighborhoods they know well. Keep them close and on leash longer than you think you need to.
- Familiar bedding helps reduce stress during displacement. If possible, keep their sleeping area consistent even if the location changes.
Watch for Behavioral Changes
Disaster stress affects animals just as it affects people. A normally calm pet may become defensive, anxious, or uncharacteristically aggressive. Give them more space around other animals, children, and strangers. Comfort them with calm words, physical contact, and as much routine as you can restore.
*Standing Water
Keep animals away from standing water after a storm. It may be contaminated with sewage, chemicals, or debris. Vets often see a rise in Leptospirosis cases after hurricanes and flooding — it’s a bacterial infection spread through contaminated water that can affect both pets and people, and it can be serious. When in doubt, keep your pet away from it entirely until conditions normalize.
Finding a Lost Pet After a Storm
If you become separated from your pet during a hurricane, act immediately — don’t wait to see if they come home on their own.
- Follow the lost pet steps on our Lost & Found page.
- If you’re away from home, file a report with Pet FBI at PetFBI.org right away
- Contact local animal shelters, humane societies, and Beaufort County Animal Services — displaced animals are often picked up and held at facilities that may be outside your immediate area.
- Check with your local or state emergency management agency for information on pet recovery resources activated during disaster response.
Dial 211 or visit 211.org to find additional local services for locating or caring for pets after a disaster.
For disaster-specific hotlines and resources activated when a named storm hits, check aspca.org/disaster — the ASPCA posts event-specific information there when disasters occur.
To look up a found pet’s microchip across multiple registries, use the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup here.
🐾 Download the Pet Evacuation Checklist (PDF) — print it and keep it with your go-bag.