Jesse & Joy: Keep Your Entire Family Safe in a Natural Disaster

The Grammy-winning artists behind hits such as “¡Corre!” and “3 A.M.”, Jesse & Joy, have joined forces with PETA to help their fans keep their animal companions safe during a natural disaster. In a new video, the duo explains that cats and dogs are members of the family, just like brothers and sisters, and should never be left behind.

You never know when there might be a natural disaster, such as a flood, wildfire, earthquake, or hurricane, that will require you to be prepared with food, supplies, and a plan. Creating an emergency-preparedness plan is fundamental for the safety of your family, and your companion animals must be included. “Nothing is more important to us than our family, including our animal companions,” says Joy. “That’s why we have an emergency plan in place to keep our entire family safe in case of a natural disaster.”

“Decide ahead of time where you will go in case of an evacuation, and make sure it’s a place that accepts animals,” recommends Jesse. Watch the full video for more tips on keeping your animals safe:

Review these tips to protect your animal family members in an emergency:

Before an Emergency Strikes

• Have an animal emergency kit readily available. Include a harness and leash or a carrier as well as bottled water, food and water bowls, dry and canned food, and a copy of your animal companions’ medical records. If you have a cat, have litter and a small litter tray ready to go.
• Make sure that all your animals have collars or harnesses with tags listing your contact details. Keep a current photo of your animal companion for identification purposes, just as you would for a child.

During an Emergency

• If you’re being evacuated, never leave animals behind. There’s no way of knowing what may happen to your home while you’re away, and you may not be able to return for days or even weeks. Animal companions who are left behind may become malnourished or dehydrated, be injured by debris, drown, or escape in panic and become lost.
• Know your destination ahead of time. Not all emergency shelters accept animals, but many hotels do during disasters.

By planning now, you can make sure that all your loved ones can weather any storm. Remember: The question isn’t whether a disaster will strike—it’s when.