CREATE AN EVACUATION PLAN FOR YOUR PETS

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advice, Hurricane safety, neighbors, Northeast Florida, pets, real estate, safety

Photo by Artem Beliaikin @belart84 on Pexels.com

An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered one for their pets. Take these steps to add your pets to your evacuation plan.

Assign pet evacuation to an adult. Everyone should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one parent or adult to the pets. This allows the other parent and the children to focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a high-stress moment when time is of the essence.

Keep evacuation maps and pet carriers readily accessible. If you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. If you pets require carriers, keep them in a place that you can access easily.

Practice your plan. Include your pets in your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be as simple as you think!

Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets. No matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or a GPS-compatible tag can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to the area.

Have any questions or are you ready to start your new home search in 2019? Give us a call today!  Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS, Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

 

Making the Move Easy for Your Pets

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homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, Jacksonville FL Real Estate, moving with pets, pets, tips for moving with pets

Moving is stressful. Organizing, packing, cleaning, scheduling… the number of tasks can seem overwhelming. One thing that makes the stress worthwhile is the idea that soon you’ll be settling into your new home.

But what about your pets? For them, moving is an extremely unsettling experience. While you know the big picture, your furry and feathered friends only see their world falling apart. This can result in stress-related behaviors or even illness. So how do you preserve your pets’ sanity during the change?

Here are some tips for moving with pets:

1. Pack gently and slowly. Nothing will stress out your animal more than a sudden uprooting of all they know. If possible, give yourself a long period of time to gradually box up your possessions. Whatever you do, leave your pets’ most cherished possessions and spaces untouched until the last moment.

2. Decide who will watch your pet during moving day. If you have a friend or new neighbor who is willing to pet-sit for you on moving day, take advantage of this opportunity. Preferably it will be someone your pet is familiar with. If all else falls through, consider using a service like rover.com to locate a pet sitter.3. Introduce your pet to the destination beforehand. Sometimes on a final walk-through before closing you might be able to bring your pet over to the new house for a “sniff test” of the property. It’s not even a bad idea to let them mark a bush or two outside on the sly so that when they arrive after moving day, the destination won’t feel quite as foreign. Walk the new neighborhood with your dogs and introduce them to neighbors you see along the route.

4. Check your new house for pet hazards. This might include lawn chemicals, pest poisons, escape holes in the fencing, or other formerly ignored danger zones.

5. Update all your pets’ ID tags and/or chips. You’ll need your new contact information (including your new vet) on collars, etc. Some pets will try to find their way to an old house after a move, so make sure if they get lost they’ll be returned correctly.

We want the transition to be as smooth as possible for everyone in your family. If you’re looking to buy or sell soon, let us help you and your animal companions find your next home: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside