By now, veteran residents in the Las Vegas Valley know how to deal with monsoon season. Stay indoors, don’t try and drive in the rain, and get to high elevation if flooding occurs. But we tend to forget about a group of residents who also have to adapt to these storms: pets.
Boulder City Animal Control Supervisor Ann Inabnitt says that any storm brings in a lot of calls. But this summer, in particular, is the worst she has seen in 10 years.
“This summer has been bad in particular. Fences are down, doors are open and pets are lost,” said Inabnitt.
Recent storms have brought wind speeds as high as 42 miles per hour. This not only creates property damage to things like fences and doors but also allows frightened animals such as dogs and cats to run off in a panic.
“When the weather cools off and you allow your pet to be in the backyard while you go to work, you assume that everything is fine. But this time of year, in the afternoon, we have these huge storms. Fences get knocked down, dogs panic and they take off. Cats are terrified of storms, too,” said Inabnitt.
Dogs are the most reported animal to be lost in monsoon season, but cats are a close second. Funnily enough, Inabnitt says she gets a lot of calls on missing cats only to find out that they never left the house. Cats tend to be so frightened that they find a great hiding spot in the house, such as behind a washing machine or underneath a couch, to hide from the storm.
To help keep your pet safe throughout monsoon season, make sure you keep your pet indoors and provide them comfort and a safe space during storms. A dog’s safe space could be a kennel, underneath a bed, or even in your arms. Some owners have treated their pets with CBD to calm them down during storms.
Typical monsoon seasons last from June to September in the area.
Contact reporter Owen Krepps at okrepps@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow him on Twitter @OKrepps85.