Laurie Simmons, founder and CEO of Big Dog Range Rescue, discusses hurricane prep and your pets.
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00:00When disaster strikes, our pets face life-threatening risks from floodwaters to separation, lack of supplies.
00:06And with hurricane season here and us making plannings ahead, and planning ahead could really help save their lives.
00:12So joining us now is Lori Simmons, who is the founder and CEO of Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
00:18Good morning, Lori. We want to know what kind of risks are pets facing as we talk about hurricane season and evacuations.
00:24Well, you need to prepare for your pet, just like you would prepare for yourself.
00:31Have a plan in place wherever you're going to go.
00:36It's best to look out for emergency shelters that accept pets and know those options prior to leaving for the storm.
00:46And always pack a to-go bag for your dog, just like you do for yourself, with collars and leash, food enough for at least a week.
00:57Any medications your pet is on, because it may be very hard to access those in emergency situations.
01:06There's vet records in case you have an emergency and need to go to a new vet's office, food and water bowls, and anything else your pet would need.
01:19Their favorite bed, a crate.
01:22That's so important to have all that ready ahead of time when you have to evacuate.
01:27And it can be such a hectic time, and often mistakes are made.
01:32What are some of the biggest mistakes pet owners can make or forget to think of when planning for storms?
01:38The biggest thing is not having a plan in place for your pet.
01:41And now with the new trooper's law that Ron DeSantis signed into law for Florida just a little over a week ago, it's a felony to leave your pet behind in an emergency situation where they can be exposed to the elements such as high winds or floodwaters.
02:04So make sure you've got your plan in place to take your pet with you or a shelter where you know ahead of time you can take your pet to for care during a storm.
02:18Now, what role do you all at Big Dog Ranch Rescue play in helping pets before, during, and even after these natural disasters?
02:26Well, as soon as our education building is finished, it's a 10,000-square-foot building, we will be a shelter for South Florida where people can come and stay with their pets during a storm.
02:40And we're hoping to have that finished by September.
02:44Hopefully, we don't get storms before that.
02:46But Big Dog Ranch is always ready before hurricanes.
02:51We always have our bus loaded with supplies that are needed.
02:56And we are immediately dispatched right after a storm to go help pets and needs and deliver emergency supplies to shelters that may have been affected and to evacuate animals that are in harm's way.
03:14Lori Simmons, founder and CEO of Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
03:17Thank you for all you do for the pets and all the information you provided us this morning.