How to keep pets safe, comfortable when moving to a new home

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Moving to a new home can be stressful and frightening to pets.

To reduce stress on pets and yourself, there are steps that should be taken before and during a move to make it as smooth of a transition as possible for your animals.

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Make sure that your pets have collars that fit correctly and have ID tags with your name and current phone number prior to moving day. American Humane also recommends microchipping your pet in case its collar gets lost.

Keep the pet in a crate or a closed room on moving day until you are ready to take them with you. According to American Humane, noises and moving day activities may scare your pet, or make them stressed and cause them to possibly run away.

When it’s time to move pets, transport them in a carrier or keep them leashed and under control. Don’t move them in a truck bed, car trunk or storage area of a moving truck.

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If the move is long, plan ahead by finding pet-friendly hotels along the route ahead of time. Make reservations before you leave. Also, be sure to stop for bathroom breaks and water breaks, and keep your pets leashed during breaks.


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