Community Corner

Include Pets When Prepping for Hurricane Sandy

Do you have a plan for the family pets should the power go out?

According to the latest information released by the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Sandy will bring "significant impacts" to the region Sunday night through Wednesday.

Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) has already said it is preparing for "hundreds of thousands" of power outages and AT&T has dispatched its "Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) team" ahead of any disaster.

In Howard County, County Executive Ken Ulman said in a statement that being prepared for a storm of this size takes a lot of hard work and thought, "And we are doing both. I am hoping that residents are taking their preparations just as seriously."

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For some residents, preparations go beyond buying batteries and ice, they include making accommodations for pets should you have to evacuate your home.

Here are a few resources for pet owners; if you know of others, leave them in the comments:

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Shady Spring kennels in Woodbine, (410) 795-1957,  says it plans to play the storm by ear. Though the kennel has no set emergency procedure, dog owners should call if they are in need of last-minute kenneling services. 

Highland Groomery in Highland, (301) 854-3375, will accept cats for boarding but they do not have a backup power source, to be sure to call first.

Dogtopia in Clarksville said "yes and no" when asked if they would take in dogs during the storm. The kennel has certain requirements and all dogs need to undergo a 10-minute evaluation before being allowed to stay.

Know of other pet resources? Please let your neighbors know by posting in the comments.


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