Increasing intensity of severe weather has pet advocates urging owners to plan ahead

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The American Humane Association estimates that 10 million pets go missing each year in the United States. As climatologists warn that storms are intensifying, it's becoming even more important for pet owners to come up with a game plan for their four-legged family members.

When Hurricane Helene hit the East Coast, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals helped rescue more than 15,000 animals across several southern states.

"We're the ones going to advocate for our pets because at the end of the day, the first responders are going to be there for the people first. So we have to be there as owners for our animals," said Wake Animal Services Director Dr. Jennifer Federico.

When a storm hits in Wake County, whether it's a powerful hurricane or intense snow storm, there are six co-location shelters where people and their pets can seek refuge.

Federico said during Hurricane Florence in 2018, more than 95 animals stayed at these shelters and some came in from the North Carolina coast.

"If we're asking people to evacuate, we want you to evacuate and we don't want your pet being left behind to be a reason that you don't," said Federico.

Even after your average thunderstorm, shelters will see an uptick in lost pets coming through the doors. That's where a tracker device could really help.

"A third of pets do go missing," said Tractive Executive Vice President Andrew Bleiman.

Tractive is one of the few companies offering technology that can help pet owners find their animals in real time.

The device is waterproof, and the company works with all the major cellular networks.

The technology will look for the strongest signal, default to that, and then alert a pet owner on their phone where the lost animal is traveling.

"If you have a shred of connection, the device is going to transmit in real time where the pet's location is," said Bleiman. "It provides peace of mind."

Federico also suggests microchipping your pet, confirming the information is up to date, and making sure they're used to being in a crate.

"Some people don't crate train their dogs," said Federico. "That is really an important thing, especially if you do have to evacuate for any reason because they're going to have to be kennel where you go."

For the winter months when there could be snow or ice storms, the recommendation is to have at least three days worth of food and water on hand.

This story is part of our Climate Ready series - a collaboration between ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations focused on providing practical solutions to help you and your family adapt to extreme weather events and the current challenges of climate change.

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