Planning Protects Your Pets During a Natural Disaster

The National Hurricane Preparedness Week has been in full swing this year getting the public ready for the start of hurricane season. June 1^st marks the official start to this season and as the winds start to howl and the rain plummets we should talk about how you should prepare your home, your family, and your pets for a natural disaster.

Caring for animals is a full time job and with that care there is love and affection between an animal owner and the animal. While we are talking about natural disasters there is one key that needs to be brought to every animal owner’s attention: when animals get frightened they PANIC. Animals feel a wide spectrum of emotions and generally what happens is that when an animal is frightened they seek out comfort and in these instances this should be you. Never in a natural disaster leave your pet behind. It is your duty as the caregiver to these animals that you ensure their safety. That being said here is a good way to prepare for the season ahead.

DO NOT WAIT! Get ready now with preventative measures. ID your pet. Chip your pet. Photograph your pet.
MAKE A DISASTER KIT. The basics for both you and your pet include food and water for at least 5 days, medications and medical records (keep these is a waterproof container), and keep your first aid kit fully stocked. Cat litter box, scoop, litter and plastic bags to collect waste from your pets. Include leashes, harnesses, and pet carriers in your kit. Also, it is important to keep current photos of your pets and loved ones. Don’t leave anything out when you compile descriptions about everyone in the house include medical conditions, emergency contact information, doctors and veterinarian contacts, and for pets their feeding schedule.
SAFE PLACE: find an alternative place to stay ahead of time that can accommodate your family and pets.
EVACUATE: If you need to evacuate DO NOT leave your pet behind. They are counting on you to get them through this trying time.
STAYING PUT: Protect yourself and your family. Be cautious and stay safe.

National disasters are scary. With this knowledge you can be prepared and stay safe. Don’t wait. Get started with your disaster plans now! #Nationalhurricanepreparednessweek #petsafety

Sebastian Barnes

01:06 17 Jan 22

I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.

Jackeline Ortiz

14:29 02 Apr 23

The best pet sitting in the area so far! The sitters are very professional and they follow your instructions on point. They have been taking care of my Cosmo so well beyond than Cosmo loved them every time they visited him. He is very picky and particular 😁 but he loved the girls. Thank you I appreciated your work!

Jordy Sleeubus

21:53 04 Jan 23

We used Paw Pals for our two cats during the holidays (2 weeks). Our experience was absolutely amazing! From the amazing communication we had with the Paw Pals team and the cat sitters to the amazing job they did with our cats. One of our cats has always been reluctant to meet new people but after these two weeks she's now the first to greet anyone!I love the updates with pictures you get after each visit which is something I always looked forward to while missing our cats. Part of our holiday included being on a cruiseship which left us with very little internet connectivity but at no point did I feel the need to worry as we knew our cats were in great hands.If you need a cat sitter I'd look no further than Paw Pals. I highly recommend them.

laceyrt

18:03 08 Mar 23

The folks at Paw Pals pet sitting are fantastic to work with. This review includes a bit of a long story but goes to show how dedicated they are to their job and the care they have for the animals they watch over. I reached out to Paw Pals, even though I live outside their service area, in a bit of a panic because our scheduled dog sitter for our family vacation suddenly wasn't available. The local sitters we've used in the past seemed like they wouldn't be able to accommodate us on such late notice and so we were scouring the internet for other options.When I submitted a request to Paw Pals, I expected to get a polite no thank you - you're out of our service area. Instead I got a call from Jen, who was so kind, helpful and accommodating and essentially bent over backwards to help set up a sitter for us. We met the sitter at her home and it was more of the same. So friendly and welcoming to our dog and fully prepared to watch her for two weeks.We ultimately didn't end up booking with Paw Pals, only because our local sitter had an opening that allowed someone to stay in home with our dog (who is a very anxious senior shepherd-collie mix). But just based on the limited experience I had with them, I would highly recommend Paw Pals. These folks are fantastic and I only wish we lived closer so we could utilize their other services on a regular basis. Five stars all the way!

Michæl Silva

21:38 01 Jul 22

Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A

Kwi Kim

22:37 17 Jun 22

I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.

Joseph Walter

19:55 13 Jun 22

Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.

Ashley Manning

09:50 11 Jun 22

Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!

Brian Wood

04:08 22 May 22

We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.

Lesley Bush

13:58 18 Mar 22

We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.

Andrea Hall

22:45 03 Oct 20

I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!

Julie Shildt

17:45 14 Nov 21

It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.

Taylor Smith

21:22 03 Oct 21

I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!

Katie McCune

19:19 15 Jul 21

I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!

Alexandra Hill

22:43 23 May 21

I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!

Cindy Welgoss

13:12 27 Nov 20

We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.

Dr Tammy Cashion

21:11 12 Mar 19

We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!

Kristin Conrad

16:00 16 Nov 19

We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.

Katie Russell

15:01 17 May 20

Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!

Phillip Evans

14:38 11 Jul 20

When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.

Planning Protects Your Pets During a Natural Disaster

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