Black Labrador Retriever Finding 'Toys' After a Tornado Is Perfectly Optimistic

Tornadoes are not fun, not in any way, shape, or form. Homes and lives can be lost, pets can go missing. For a human, thinking about cleaning up in the aftermath of a tornado is just about the scariest thing we can possibly imagine.

For dogs, though, it's a different story. Tornadoes are still scary, typically accompanied by strong winds and lots of thunder, but they produce some things that dogs enjoy, too. Like lots of free sticks! On Sunday, June 23rd, one pup took full advantage:

Poppy the Black Lab is exactly like I think every other dog on Earth would be like in this case. Free sticks for all!

Related: Black Labrador's Gentle Love for Human Brother Is Beyond Compare

Poppy is just over a year old; she was born in April of 2023! Since then, she's been living with her forever family and going moderately viral from time to time. Her most viral videos have millions of views each, and in them, she's usually demanding to play or, in one case, demanding some popcorn.

Though there were tornadoes in their neighborhood, Poppy, her family, and her neighbors are all doing fine. For the most part, strong winds knocked the branches off tons of trees - something that Poppy believes was done specifically for her. She loves sticks, and it's nice to see her helping with neighborhood cleanup!

How to Keep Dogs Safe During a Tornado

If you live in a tornado-prone area, you have to prepare for everything, not only for yourself and your family, but your furry friends. Just like you likely have a "go bag" full of essentials in the event of evacuation, you should have one for dogs too. It should include :

1. A bag of kibble (which may need to be swapped out regularly to keep from spoiling).
2. A collapsible water bowl and at least two bottles of water.
3. Booties
4. A toy or two
5. A few treats
6. An extra collar, ID tag, and leash

If you're choosing to shelter in place, the best thing you can do for a dog in a tornado is crate them up in a hard metal crate. It can be placed in safe areas like storm shelters or bathtubs, and covered with a blanket to keep debris from flying in. The odds of your dog being crushed, lost, or injured while a tornado is taking place decrease. In the event that you have to evacuate without notice, it'll give them somewhere safe to stay put.

After a tornado, before everything has been cleaned up, be extra careful on walks. Putting booties on the pup will help keep them from stepping on shards of glass, and try not to let them eat or lick dust or debris. Lucky for Poppy, the only thing she found on the ground was a ton of frees toys!