How to Keep Your Dog Safe During a Tornado

Dealing with tornadoes is just part of the package that goes along with living in Oklahoma. For anyone who has grown up in Oklahoma or lived there for many years, it actually gets quite easy to not really put much weight into warnings during tornado season. Although there’s no need to constantly be on edge about bad weather, it is important to remind yourself that a truly dangerous storm may one day strike close to home.

In addition to taking your personal safety seriously, you should definitely do the same for your dog. Your dog may get extremely anxious if a tornado develops or strikes, which is why it’s important to have an action plan in place. Because dog safety is something that we care about a lot, we want to cover what you can do to establish a reliable dog tornado safety plan:

Have a Stock of Emergency Dog Supplies

A disaster like a tornado can cause you and your dog to be stuck for awhile. An evacuation may also be necessary depending on the conditions. Since there are a lot of uncertain variables that can come up, you should have some basic supplies ready to go. In addition to fresh water and dog food, it’s also a good idea to have a crate that can be used to transport your dog or keep it in a secure location with you.

Practice Getting to Safety

It may sound silly, but there’s definitely value in practicing where you plan to seek safety with your dog. Going through the motion of taking cover with your dog even once will quickly alert you to any adjustments that need to be made with your plan or shelter location.

Keep ID Up to Date

The process of preparing for a tornado is a good opportunity to make sure that your dog’s collar is in good shape and has ID that is up to date. It’s also worth using this time to double check that all the info on your dog’s microchip is current.

Watch Your Dog Closely After a Tornado

Even if a tornado ends up being a close call instead of a direct hit, this experience can still be very stressful for your dog. You’ll want to keep a close eye on them during this period. Avoid letting your dog roam far from home, and do your best to stick with a normal routine.

While we hope that this type of disaster isn’t something you and your dog ever have to go through, being prepared is the best way to have peace of mind even in the face of a worst-case scenario.