We at Missouri Lost & Found Paws are very proud to provide our community based service to help owners of lost pets and Good Samaritans of found pets. But we strongly also believe in preventative education. After all, it would please us to our souls if we could have a positive impact on raising awareness of situations that often cause lost pets.
This leads us to kick off our Storm Preparedness series for 2018.
And so, we will start with our first awareness tip. Even the best trained pet, even the best mannered pet during their lifetime will become spooked in an unpredictable scenario such as a storm. Loud booms. Gusty winds. Flying objects through the air. Varying barometric pressures. Different new smells in the air. Even aging pets. All of these can lead to unpredictable behaviors from our pets.
We at Missouri Lost & Found Paws recommend taking pets out on a leash during storm watch and storm warnings. Avoid the retractable leashes. They are dangerous to you as well as your pet. Why? If a pet becomes frightened and jumps out of its skin to run, your hand will take the brunt of the sliding rope from the retractable leash. In turn, your pet will be on the run dragging the plastic, retractable unit behind, which can become stuck in bushes and other dangerous scenarios. A dog could strangle itself by becoming caught up while being stuck.
It is better to be safe than to have them become spooked.
Animals also develop anxiety and fears as they age, similar to humans. They develop Alzheimer like behaviors – forgetfulness, confusion and such. Keep them safe. It takes only a little extra time on our parts to take them out safely. It only takes one gust of wind to knock a fence down, to blow a gate open, to blow a door leading into the house (that was otherwise secured) open.
Our ask of you? Please, help us spread the education. Help us reach pet owners such as yourself to teach about preventative measures to help our beloved pets stay safe. Share this article. You as a believer of our mission are a voice to help others. We are counting on you to help us spread the word.
