Living on the Jersey Shore my entire life, I am no stranger to the damage hurricane-like conditions can do. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, although I was not required to evacuate, I felt like I was living in the stone ages at home. No electricity, no heat, no working phone. Although this seemed like the worst possible situation at the time, there were families who lost everything permanently.

Hurricanes are no joke, and we should not treat them as such. Therefore, if you are urged or required to evacuate, please bring your animals with you! If the area is not safe for a human, how could it be safe for an animal?

Animals do not have the ability to get to safety on their own, so remember your fluffy friend when/if it's time to leave for safer grounds. A pet is a member of your family, and they should be treated as such. Would you leave a family member behind to suffer alone?

According to the Louisiana SPCA, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it is estimated that tens of thousands of animals died in the storm and aftermath. Of the 15,500 animals rescued during Katrina, only 15% to 20% were ever reunited with their owners. Although Katrina was one of the most massive-scale hurricanes the U.S. had in decades, the numbers of animals abandoned during any hurricane evacuation are steep.

We as a society can work together to prevent these Katrina-like animal horror stories from ever occurring again. We cannot control the strength of the storm. We cannot control the damage done by the storm. But we CAN control who and what we take during the evacuation process. Please share and create awareness for all of the helpless animals during Hurricane Florence!