TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As hurricane season ramps up, a new nationwide program is making it easier, and free, for pet owners in Tampa Bay to protect their furry family members before the next big storm hits.
FidoAlert, the country’s largest free lost pet alert network, has partnered with the disaster relief nonprofit Flew The Coop to offer complimentary pet ID tags and disaster readiness tools. The program is open to all pet owners across the U.S. and is now available to residents in the Tampa Bay area.
The initiative provides:
- Durable, scannable Fido ID tags (valued at $9.99 each) for every registered pet
- Real-time SMS alerts to nearby users if your pet goes missing
- Emergency contact sharing with up to 10 trusted people
- A downloadable storm preparedness guide tailored for pet safety
- Access to a nationwide lost pet network that has already helped reunite more than 50,000 pets with their owners
The goal is to reduce the number of pets lost or displaced during hurricanes, a problem that worsens each year with rising storm frequency and severity.
"With this national expansion, we’re ensuring no pet has to go unprotected because of a lack of preparedness," said Christopher Harding, founder of Flew The Coop. "Together with FidoAlert’s technology, we’re giving families peace of mind when disaster strikes."
Signing up takes less than two minutes and does not require a credit card. There are no income or geographic restrictions. Pet owners can register at fidoalert.com/flewthecoop.
As someone who lives with two rescue pitties, I’ve signed up to test the program firsthand — and the peace of mind is already worth it.
With hurricane season running from June 1 through November 30, experts urge Floridians to finalize emergency plans, not just for themselves, but for their pets too.
