In this issue of the Star there are two articles pertaining to hurricane preparations. While one is a typical yearly focus on what needs to be done now to prepare yourself and your family for an onslaught by Mother Nature, the other article focuses on what to do to prepare your pets for a storm or evacuation and sheltering.

When Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana, graphic video shots captured the confusion and pain associated with leaving pets behind or staying in place with the animals and risking your life to do so. As a local veterinarian said, “this points out the kind of bond so many people have with their pets. They are family and if those news stories didn’t tear your heart out, nothing will.”

I agree and being a multiple pet owner and animal lover, I think it is extremely important to make advance preparations to take care of our furry loved ones.

It is, say officials, just a matter of time before “the big one” hits the immediate Gulf Coast area and has a serious impact on inland cities and towns. For those of us who are old enough to remember Hurricane Carla, yearly preparation for the possibility of a hurricane is as normal as baking cookies for Christmas. For newcomers to the Gulf Coast, this is something you need to make part of your yearly planning just as you change the batteries in the smoke detectors and winterize your home and outdoors for the rare freezing temperatures here.