Pet owners have been urged to plan how they will get their dogs and cats out of their homes amid multiple flood warnings in Sussex.

The RSPCA have advised owners to make sure that they know how to keep their animals out of danger should the worst happen and their house is flooded.

The advice comes as over 120 flood warnings have been issued across the country, most of which are in Southern counties such as East and West Sussex.

Jason Finch, national water rescue coordinator for the RSPCA, said: “This decision is made based on local conditions, the safety of our officers and predictions on how the weather and water levels could impact animals in local areas. It’s also based on the number of emergency calls that are coming into our hotline.

“The main concerns we are seeing at the moment are coming from members of the public who have seen horses or livestock in flooded fields. While we’ve not launched any rescues yet, we are urging pet owners and farmers to act now to ensure the safety of their animals.

“Make sure you have a plan so that you know how to get your animals out of danger if the worst was to happen and you found yourself caught up in flooding. Floodwater can rise very quickly so if there is a flood warning in your area then act early and put your flood plan into action.”

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Top tips issued by the RSPCA include planning escape routes, moving livestock to higher ground and keeping a supply of pet food in case of evacuation.

As of Thursday, November 17, the charity says that they have had six calls related to flooding.

The RSPCA is part of Defra’s National Flood Response Team and has approximately 60 specially-trained officers and a fleet of several emergency rescue boats that can be launched for water rescues.

The water rescue teams are trained to operate in fast-flowing and contaminated water, and can be called upon to assist in rescuing animals, people and provide assistance to communities affected by flooding.