We all hope a tropical storm or hurricane will not threaten our area, but you need to be prepared just in case. Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. You know the importance of creating a hurricane preparedness kit for your family but many forget to include supplies for their pets.

• A pet first-aid kit
  
• A four-day supply of your pet's food and medications
• Bottled water
• Feeding dishes
• Litter and/or disposable garbage bags
• Extra leashes and harnesses
• Photocopies of your pet's medical records
• Pictures of your pets in case you are separated

• Your out of town contact information(phone, e-mail, etc)
• Names and numbers of 2 local people that are willing to pick up your pet in the event of an evacuation.

Although you can’t guarantee that your dog will never bite someone, there are many ways that you can significantly reduce the risk.

• Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. Healthy puppies can be spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks of age. Spayed or neutered dogs may be less likely to bite.
• Socialize your dog! Well-socialized dogs make enjoyable, trustworthy companions. Undersocialized dogs are a risk to their owners and to others because they can become frightened by everyday things—which means they are more likely to aggress or bite. Socializing is the opposite of isolating. The main rule for effective socializing is to let your dog progress at her own pace and never force her to be around someone or something when she’s clearly fearful or uncomfortable.
• Take your dog to humane, reward-based training classes—the earlier the better. We recommend starting your puppy in puppy kindergarten classes as early as eight weeks, right after her first set of vaccinations. 
• Make your dog a part of the family. Don’t chain or tie her outside, and don’t leave her unsupervised for long periods of time—even in a fenced yard. Most tethered dogs become frustrated and can feel relatively defenseless, so they’re much more likely to bite. 
• Don’t wait for a serious accident to happen. The first time your dog shows aggressive behavior toward anybody, even if no injury occurs, seek professional help from a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), a veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB), or a qualified Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). 
• Err on the safe side. Be aware of common triggers of aggression, including pain, injury or sickness, the approach of strangers or strange dogs, the approach of people in uniforms, costumes or unusual attire, unexpected touching, unfamiliar places, crowds, and loud noises like thunder, wind, construction, fireworks and appliances.
• Always supervise children and dogs. Never leave a baby or child younger than 10 years old alone with a dog. Teach your children to treat your dog gently and with respect, giving the dog her own space and opportunities to rest.
• Don’t allow your dog to roam alone.

Safety Tips for Children

• Children should not approach, touch or play with any dog who is sleeping, eating, chewing on a toy or bone, or caring for puppies. Animals are more likely to bite if they’re startled, frightened or caring for young.
• Children should never approach a barking, growling or scared dog.
• Children should not pet unfamiliar dogs without asking permission from the dog’s guardian first. If the guardian says it is okay, the child should first let the dog sniff his closed hand. Then taking care to avoid petting the dog on the top of the head, he can pet the dog’s shoulders or chest.
• Children should not try to pet dogs who are behind a fence or in a car. Dogs often protect their home or space.
• If a child sees a dog off-leash outside, he should not approach the dog and should tell an adult immediately.
• If a loose dog comes near a child, he should not run or scream. Instead, he should avoid eye contact with the dog and stand very still, like a tree, until the animal moves away. Once the dog loses interest, the child can slowly back away.
• If a child falls down or is knocked to the ground by a dog, he should curl up in a ball with his knees tucked into his stomach, and fingers interlocked behind his neck to protect his neck and ears. If a child stays still and quiet like this, the dog will most likely just sniff him and then go away.