Animal services urges pet preparedness, offers free microchips and pet shelter guidance

Moreno Valley animal services urged pet owners to prepare emergency kits for animals, keep records accessible and take advantage of the city’s free microchipping program.

"Part of what the city's doing right now and has been since 2023 is offering free microchips," Ashley Rens, the city’s animal services division manager, told the forum. She said microchipping includes registration and can aid reunification if owners are separated from pets during an evacuation.

Rens recommended keeping vaccination records and microchip information in a folder and storing photos of pets on a phone to assist reunification. She also urged owners to have carriers for cats, leashes for dogs and to practice acclimating animals to carriers. The city will list pet-capable evacuation sites and resources on Moval.org/alert, she said.

Animal services staff said they will assist residents who are not home when a disaster strikes when possible and that livestock plans (trailers/halters for horses) should be part of an evacuation plan for owners with larger animals.