Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe This Holiday Season

The Mercer Island Police Department wants to make sure that you get to enjoy the holidays with all of your family members … especially your pets!

This month, MIPD officers Rob Jira and Anna Ormsby offer some helpful tips on .

Tips to best prepare your pet for an emergency or accidental “escape”:

• Have your pets licensed AND micro chipped. Keep your pets medical/chip/license information updated as it changes and in a location where you can immediately access it in case of an emergency. Remember, microchips can “migrate” around your pet’s body over the years, so make sure a found pet is thoroughly scanned.
• Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and the tag has up-to-date contact information in case your pet runs away or gets lost.
• Have emergency food and water set aside for your pet in case of a natural disaster emergency. Keep this food and water with the emergency items that you keep for your family. Have enough food and water to last at least 3 days; 7-10 is recommended. Also, have crates/carriers that are easily accessible and ready to use with bedding they are used to.
• Keep a computer record of your pet’s medical/chip/license history with the emergency food. Send a copy of this information to an out of area friend/family member in case something happens to you.
• Have your pet neutered/spayed to prevent the urge to wander as well as reducing aggressive behavior.

If your pet is lost OR you have found a lost pet:

• If you have found a pet, take it to a vet clinic or the Humane Society and have it scanned.
• Call a Mercer Island pet care clinics to report the lost/found pet.

Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic: 206-232-0333
Mercy Vet: 206-232-7667
Island Cats Veterinary Hospital: 206-232-2837

• Make flyers with a photo of the pet if possible and contact information. Post these flyers at vet clinics, stop signs, intersections and park areas immediately.
• Post ads on Craigslist, the MI Reporter, or the MI Patch, leaving out at least one identifying feature for security purposes.
• Call the Humane Society and Animal Control, especially if a lost pet is not licensed or chipped.

Humane Society Eastgate location: 425-641-0080
Animal Control King County (Kent): 206-296-7387

• If you find these above locations are closed, please contact Aerowood Animal Hospital which is open 24/7.

Aerowood Animal Hospital
2975 156th AVE SE
Bellevue, WA 98007

(Ed. Note: The information provided above is from a Mercer Island Police community information bulletin.)