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For those of us on the East Coast, the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 is still present and fresh on our minds. And most recently, persistent flooding in the Midwest has wreaked havoc on the lives of humans and pets alike. It’s important for pet parents in all parts of the country to be prepared to act in the face of a disaster—and that includes having an emergency plan in place for your pets.

That’s one of the reasons why we joined FEMA to recognize May 8 as National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. We hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn more about the ways you can keep your furry friends safe in an emergency. Here are a few easy steps you can take:

1. Have a Plan. Your “all-family” plan needs to include how you will transport your animals in an evacuation, possible routes you will take and your destination/sheltering options. Practice that plan at least yearly and share it with your family and friends.

2. Build a Kit. Don’t forget a photo of your pet, medical records, vaccination records, and any special food or prescriptions.

3. Stay Informed. Keep an eye on the weather, follow a projected storm’s path and don’t get caught unprepared. Staying informed also means knowing which shelters house both people and pets, monitoring possible road closures and having alternate travel plans.

4. Know Your Neighbors. It’s best to form a relationship with your neighbors well in advance of a disaster situation.Develop a telephone tree and determine who is home and when. If a disaster occurs while you’re at work, your neighbor may be the only one who can reach your pets.

5. Vaccinate and Microchip. If you’re ever required to shelter your pets, you’ll want them protected against disease. And the single most important piece of advice we can offer is to microchip your pets. It is truly their ticket home.

Please visit our full list of disaster preparedness tips for more information.

Members of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response and Forensic Services teams are on the ground in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, assisting local authorities with the investigation of a farm animal cruelty case involving nearly 30 horses and other farm animals.

The Pleasant Prairie Police Department executed a search warrant on April 9, finding, among other animals, five deceased horses and 22 horses in poor condition. These horses were removed from the property and are now being housed temporarily by local rescue groups, getting the care and attention they desperately needed.

On April 30 the ASPCA teams arrived in Pleasant Prairie, about halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. We’re there to support the Pleasant Prairie Police Department by lending our expertise in animal crime scene investigation.

We’re honored to help the Pleasant Prairie Police Department step up for these animals in need, and we’ll provide updates about this case as they come in.

If you suspect you’ve witnessed cruelty in your area, please don’t hesitate to report it. You could save a life.

Got a sec? Today we’re joining forces to celebrate National Animal Advocacy Day—and we could really use your help! We need everyone to pick up the phone, call their legislators and urge them to ban horse slaughter once and for all.

Horse slaughter is barbaric and cruel. It’s not only bad for horses, but it also for people. Meat from American horses is unsafe for human consumption. Enacting a ban on horse slaughter has never been more urgent.

What Do You Say?
It’s simple. Ask your legislators to support the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act. The SAFE Act will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and ban their export abroad for that purpose. This bill will protect our nation’s horses from the predatory horse slaughter industry and protect the public from toxic horse meat.

Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to find your legislators' names and phone numbers. Then share this post with your friends on social media using the hashtag #AdvocacyDay.

Thank you for standing up for horses!

Guest blog by Daisy Freund, Manager of the ASPCA’s Farm Animal Campaign

Did you know that more than 10 billion animals are raised for dairy, meat and eggs each year in the U.S.? Most of these animals are crammed together by the hundreds or thousands. Not only do these factory farms have poor or nonexistent animal welfare standards—but they’re also environmental nightmares.

Here are the top five ways factory farms are hurting the Earth:

• Animal agriculture generates 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, including 9% of carbon dioxide, 65% of nitrous oxide emissions and 37% of methane emissions. Most of that methane comes from belching cows and rotting manure.
• In the U.S., confined animals generate three times more raw waste than humans generate. Their manure is commonly stored in open-air “poop lagoons,” which release dangerous toxins such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane into the air and leach heavy metals, drugs and other additives given to the animals into the ground water. That’s just gross!
• The waste is often used as crop fertilizer and over-applied to nearby fields, resulting in further air pollution and high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water supply. Excess nitrogen robs water of oxygen and destroys aquatic life.  
• Factory farms deplete our water by using large volumes for cleaning, cooling and drinking.
• The fossil fuels required to raise this staggering number of animals and produce their food emit 90 million tons of carbon dioxide worldwide every year. More than half of the world’s corn is fed to animals, and corn requires more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crop.

So what can you do to help? Check out our Top 10 Ways You Can Fight Factory Farming—and please share this post with your friends on social media using the hashtag #FactoryFarmsStink.