The Lake County Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Lake County Animal Shelter and the UF/IFAS Extension in Lake County, is inviting residents to participate in the 2019 Hurricane Expo from 10 am – 2 pm on Saturday, June 1 at the UF/IFAS Lake County Extension office, located at 1951 Woodlea Road in Tavares.
The educational event seeks to help citizens prepare for weather emergencies and will provide them with access to free informational classes. New this year, the Lake County Animal Shelter will offer free vaccinations, microchipping and deworming to dogs and cats, and will also distribute personalized pet ID tags.
“It’s very important for pet owners to be proactive about getting their pets vaccinated before hurricane season, should they ever find themselves needing to take their pets with them to an emergency shelter during a storm,” said Lake County Animal Shelter Director Whitney Boylston. “Should families ever become separated from their pet during a disaster, a microchip and ID tag is the best way to ensure that pet owners can quickly be reunited with their pet.”
Participants will also receive free tools and information about family preparedness plans, shelters, and will have the opportunity to interact with first responders and emergency personnel. The event will also feature a Kids Corner, offering family-friendly hurricane preparedness activities.
“Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about personal and family emergency preparedness, flooding dangers, recognizing weather hazards, preparing a go-kit and more,” said Tommy Carpenter, Director of the Lake County Office of Emergency Management.
Pre-registration for free pet services is required online by visiting: http://bit.ly/HurricaneExpo. For details on preparing for an emergency, visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/emergency or follow www.facebook.com/LakeCountyFLEmergencyManagement and www.twitter.com/lakeemergency. You can also receive free weather alerts at alertlake.com.
