Natural disasters can be catastrophic and devastating for many, often striking with tremendous force and little-to-no warning. When these natural disasters strike, the consequences are not only detrimental, but are also felt long after the disasters pass.
The sudden way in which many life-threatening disasters strike is what really underscores the importance of taking action to plan and prepare for these emergency situations. Given how swiftly these disasters can escalate, it’s vital that people are prepared with essential tools and resources ahead of time. Unfortunately, once a disaster has struck, the overwhelming chaos that ensues can leave many people scrambling. In the midst of such turmoil and devastation, it’s better to be prepared than filled with regret for not taking precautionary measures ahead of time.
Protecting Animals During Natural Disasters
In times of crisis, ensuring the safety of your loved ones is of paramount importance. As many animal owners nationwide agree, this love and care also extends to our precious pets as well. When discussing natural disasters, many peoples’ focus is on gathering supplies and protecting valuable assets, such as their homes or cars. However, it’s just as crucial to ensure that you are taking the proper precautions to protect your animals as well. During these unpredictable events, failure to take meaningful action to protect your pets or animals can have devastating consequences.
As outlined above, one of the best ways to navigate natural disasters is by planning ahead of time. For animals, this means making certain you have the resources necessary to keep them safe. During these stressful situations, one of the most effective tools for keeping pets and animals safe is a secure, heavy-duty crate. Investing in a high-quality crate ahead of time is one of the smartest ways that pet owners can ensure their pets are protected when they need it the most. Not only will a secure crate protect your animals from external dangers during natural disasters, such as flying debris, but having a trusted crate allows you to quickly transport your animals in a moment's notice.
Whether a natural disaster strikes or not is uncontrollable. However, the proper planning and preparation can make all the difference in protecting yourself and your loved ones- whether human or animal. After all, in the unfortunate event of an emergency, you are certainly going to be thanking yourself for the preparations you took ahead of time.
How Florida Conservationist Max Strong Protected his Animals During One of the Largest Hurricanes Ever
We are proud to highlight the inspiring story of Max Strong, a Florida-based conservationist who recently utilized Impact Dog Crates to protect his animals during Hurricane Milton. With his strong commitment to animal welfare, Max’s personal experience showcases the importance of protecting animals during natural disasters. Keep reading to learn more about Max Strong’s conservation work, the preparations he took ahead of the hurricane, and how Impact Dog Crates helped safeguard his animals during the storm.
- Can you introduce yourself and discuss the conservation work you do?
Hey! My name is Max Strong and above all else, I am an animal lover! That love led me to working with exotic animals at various private facilities throughout the country. I began using social media to share the work I was doing and the bonds that I was forming with the animals I worked with. As my social media grew, so did my contacts in the animal industry all over the world. I continue to work daily with exotic animals in the Florida and have been fortunate to also partner with conservation efforts all over the world, in places such as Costa Rica and Zimbabwe, using my platform to help raise awareness and aid in fundraising for the people who are helping to conserve animals in the wild and the land that they call home.
- Can you talk about what drew you to Impact Dog Crates and how they have aided in your conservation efforts?
Impact Dog Crates came onto my radar while I was looking for a more functional crate to have on property with the animals that I work with here in Florida. As most people know, Florida is typically hit with multiple hurricanes each year and the last few years have been particularly tough. As part of our hurricane prep to keep the animals safe, there are some that we must remove from their outdoor enclosures and secure in crates to ensure their safety during the storm.
I was able to tell quickly after watching a few videos online that Impact crates were made with strong material while still being lightweight, they have handles on top that make carrying them around easy, they have a lock on the door that helps to ensure our animals safety, and they also collapse so that we can easily store them and save space when they are not in use! These crates check so many boxes and help to give us peace of mind during not just hurricanes, but any time we need to crate and move an animal!
- What preparations did you make ahead of the hurricane for ensuring the safety of your animals?
Storm prep can get pretty crazy. We never know just how intense a storm is going to be, nor exactly where it is headed. Obviously there are models and forecasts that predict possible outcomes but you really never know until it hits, which is why we always must prepare for the worst. Before the most recent hurricane this year, Milton, we had to prep A LOT. This storm was predicted to be STRONG and heading right towards us and the animals which gave us no choice but to get ready. Building and enclosures can always be repaired, so keeping the animals safe is always our #1 priority. We spent 3 full days moving anything that wind could possibly turn into a projectile into an inside area, ensuring we had food and water for the animals in areas that would not be affected by flooding, and moving animals into safe area inside and away from the approaching storm.
- How did the animals do overall with being secured in the crates?
The animals did great inside of the impact crates. They are spacious and taller than a lot of other options on the market and they also do a great job of making the animals feel secure. Once the animals were loaded in the crates moving them around was easy with the handles. We even realized during the storm that the crates stack on top of one another and lock into place which allowed us to fit more animals in the most secure buildings on the property!
- What advice would you give to other conservationists or pet owners in regards to prioritizing their animals’ safety during natural disasters?
When it comes to a natural disaster, we truly NEVER know what is going to happen. Like I mentioned earlier, buildings can be rebuilt, cars can be replaced, but your pets, and the animals I work with cannot. It was such a relief during this last storm to know that the animals I put in Impact crates were safe and secure. Peace of mind during a crazy time is hard to find, and Impact helped give me some of that during Milton
- How did the Impact Dog Crates help during this experience, and would you recommend these crates to others in your field?
We have always moved animals into crates during storms but the ease of doing so with Impact was the biggest difference. Not only was loading the animals up easy but moving them to secure locations was made to be so easy with the handles that are located on the top of the Impact crates. No other crates I have used in the past has those handles and they were a game changer. I also loved that the door locks with a key. I would definitely recommend these crates to not only people in my field who need to move animals during storms, but also a pet owner who crate trains their animal.
How to Keep up with Max and his Animals
The best way to stay tuned with what I’m up to and different projects I have going on is through my Instagram page @maxstrong.
I do my best to show people a different side of animals while also providing them with education on things they might not have known. I also regularly share different faculties and places I work with that all love and help animals just like I do!
Thank you, Max, for trusting Impact Dog Crates to protect your animals when they needed it the most! Our entire team is so grateful for all of the incredible conservation work you do, and we look forward to continuing to follow along on all your future adventures.
