PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach is recognizing National Pet Preparedness Month this June by hosting a variety of pet adoption and community engagement events that will offer residents educational resources and tools to help address challenges families and their pets may face during an emergency and encourage residents to include their four-legged friends in their family preparedness plans and disaster kits.

"During Pet Preparedness Month, we acknowledge the cherished role our pets play in our lives," said Mayor Rex Richardson." The City is happy to tell residents about resources they need to safeguard their furry family members during times of need."

The City’s Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications has teamed up with Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) to bring awareness to this important topic and host the following community events for residents and their pets throughout June:

• Annual “Adopt-Don’t-Shop” Campaign – The first 100 adoptions made through Long Beach Animal Care Services, either at the main facility or at an offsite adoption events, in the month of June will receive a free pet emergency preparedness kit (limit one kit per adoption).
• Foster the 4^th Kickoff Event – Join us for information and resources at this adoption and fostering event held at LBACS on Friday, June 23, at 4:30 p.m. Attendees will meet the adoptable animals available for fostering and discuss ways to prevent shelter overcrowding during the Fourth of July holiday, where often times animal shelter admissions spike as a result of runaway dogs and cats due to fireworks.
• Local Business “PAWp Ups” – Disaster Preparedness staff will host a series of pop ups at local pet businesses, El Dorado Dog Park and Rosie’s Dog Beach to answer questions and provide resources to community members. Follow Disaster Preparedness on Facebook and Instagram at @LBDisasterPrep for up-to-date locations and times.
• Learn From A Pro – Disaster Preparedness staff will chat with a local veterinarian about pet preparedness, summer weather and how to help your pets during the Fourth of July holiday. The video will be recorded and available on the department's website.

“During a disaster, our pets face many of the same dangers as we do – separation, stress, cuts and abrasions, and broken bones,” said Reggie Harrison, Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications Department. “This is a time of us to focus on the specific needs of our pets."

How to prepare your pets for an emergency:

• Keep veterinarian information and vaccination records in a safe place.
• Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification information. Pet ID tags should contain name, telephone number and any urgent medical needs.
• Microchip pets as a more permanent form of identification. A microchip is implanted under the skin in the animal’s shoulder area and can be read by a scanner at most animal shelters.
• Bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm, fireworks or other disasters. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home in a crisis.

What to include in your pets’ emergency kit:

• At least seven days of food and water.
• A photo of you with your pet that can help reunify you or prove ownership in the event you become separated from your pet.
• Any paperwork with registration information or ID numbers.
• Replace old food and medication and update photos and emergency contact information annually.
• Sanitation materials such as litter/litter box, paper towels, plastic trash bags and a small hand shovel.
• Pet toys, treats or bedding to help reduce stress.
• A collar with an ID tag.
• A crate or pet carrier.

How to keep pets calm:

• Pets are more sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights and strong smells. It is best to leave your pets safely indoors, preferably with a radio or TV turned on to soften jarring noises.
• Lower a pet's anxiety with the use of pheromones. These products come in various forms, such as a wipe, spray, collar, or diffuser. Please allow the pet to experience the pheromones before the actual stress-producing event occurs.
• You can play soothing music and sound to help ease pets' anxiety.

For more information about pet preparedness, please visit the Disaster Preparedness website and follow Disaster Preparedness on Facebook and Instagram. Residents can get involved with LBACS by making a monetary donation, fostering, adopting, volunteering, donating supplies, spreading the word about adoptable animals on social media, and following @lbanimalcare on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
The mission of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is to protect the lives and property of the community and its first responders by ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of emergency communications, and disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery.

About Long Beach Animal Care Services
Long Beach Animal Care Services ensures "Compassion Saves" by supporting the people and animals of our community through outreach, education, guidance, and support services. They protect shelter animals by creating an environment of care through enrichment and innovative programs.

Residents can get involved with LBACS by making a monetary donation, fostering, adopting, volunteering, donating supplies, spreading the word about adoptable animals on social media, and following @lbanimalcare on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.