By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – The flooding risks that animals face are similar to the risks humans face.
Pam Wiese, Spokesperson for the Nebraska Humane Society, says if waters rise quickly, animals can drown. If the flood water is slow to rise and people are forced to evacuate in a hurry, animals may have to be left behind. She says since most people know the flooding is coming, the Humane Society hopes everyone will heed the warnings and get their pets out of the affected areas ahead of time. Wiese says the time to prepare is now and the first step is scoping out a place where your pet could go if necessary,"Maybe that's a boarding kennel, maybe it's a pet-friendly hotel. Maybe it's a friend who's on higher ground. You might not relocate your entire family there, but they might be able to take a dog and another friend might be able to take a cat and you might be able to do it that way. So it's always a good idea to figure out where you can send them if you need to go somewhere where you can't have them with you."
Wiese says it's also a good idea to make an emergency kit for your pet, with leashes, collars, bottled water, food and any medicine your pet might need. She says to put the emergency kit in a place where you can grab it quickly so you can take care of your pets even if you have to leave in a hurry.