Petswelcome.com Announces Hurricane Emergency Preparedness for People and Pets

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May 31, 2018, 07:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Petswelcome.com, a leading pet-friendly travel website, is proud to announce a new section dedicated to hurricane preparedness for people and their pets. The launch is timed to coincide with the opening of the 2018 hurricane season on June 1 and which runs through Nov. 30. The coming season, according to projected extended forecasts, is expected to generate 14 named storms (meaning those with winds of 39 mph or more), including seven hurricanes, three of which could be major. Subtropical Storm Alberto, which originated in the Gulf of Mexico, has already become the first named tropical storm of the year, prior to the official opening of the hurricane season.

"As pet owners, we have a special responsibility to develop a strategy that will not only accommodate our family but also our pets," said Chris Kingsley, co-founder and president of Petswelcome.com. "Leaving a pet behind is not an option, so we've launched the Hurricane Preparedness section to help pet owners develop a plan ahead of time so that they will be ready in case a major weather event or natural disaster happens near them. We've talked to many emergency experts and they tell us that a key aspect of such a plan is for pet owners to identify pet-friendly hotels they can evacuate to. And, since Petswelcome has been specializing in pet-friendly lodgings for over 20 years, we felt we were well-suited to help them achieve that goal."

The Hurricane Preparedness section (https://www.petswelcome.com/hurricane-emergency) provides instructions on what to do in natural disaster situations, including how to prepare a disaster supply checklist and an emergency kit for pets, as well as pages that will identify Nearby Pet-Friendly Lodgings (https://www.petswelcome.com/hurricane-emergency/near-me) and Nearby Pet-Friendly Emergency Shelters (https://www.petswelcome.com/hurricane-emergency/shelters-near-me). "While we emphasize finding hotels," Kingsley said, "we also include Emergency Shelters, which should be used as a last resort. Also, it's important to know that many shelters don't open until the weather event is predicted for a particular area, so our shelter list is just a starting point."

The most innovative feature of the Hurricane Preparedness section is the Emergency Evacuation Route Planner (https://www.petswelcome.com/hurricane-emergency/searchbyroute), which allows people to create an evacuation route by inputting their start location, adding any overnight stopovers and final destination. It will also show users pet-friendly lodgings along the way. The route can then be saved to be accessed on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone for use when users need it — allowing for plenty of time to hit the road before the storm hits. The route also can be edited and amended to adjust for changing storm conditions.

"The bottom line is to plan ahead and be prepared before it's too late," Kingsley said. "Petswelcome is happy and proud to be able to help pet owners make sure that nobody gets left behind and that your whole family finds safety and peace of mind in the face of threatening storms."

About Petswelcome.com

Founded in 1997, Petswelcome.com Inc. is a leading website for people who travel with their pets, providing more than 25,000 pet-friendly hotels, motels inns, B&Bs, cabins and cottages worldwide, as well as pet-friendly vacation rentals. The website allows owners to plan and save their trips, offering mapping and driving directions capabilities with pet-friendly lodgings along the way.

Contacts:

Pam Hoenig
[email protected]

Chris Kingsley
[email protected]

845-297-5150

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