Wildlife

Animal Welfare in Disaster Response

Natural disasters and humanitarian crises cause significant animal suffering that is often overlooked in emergency response planning and operations.

Key Facts

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in the abandonment of an estimated 600,000 pets
The Stafford Act was amended in 2006 to include pets in US disaster evacuation planning
PETS Act requires local emergency plans to include companion and service animals
Livestock losses during floods and fires affect millions of animals and their owners economies
International humanitarian organisations increasingly include animal welfare in crisis response

Welfare Considerations

Animals in disasters face abandonment, drowning, burns, starvation and trauma. The bond between people and their animals means that failure to accommodate animals in evacuation plans costs human lives — people refuse to leave their animals behind. Including companion, working and livestock animals in disaster planning is both humane and operationally rational. Post-disaster mental health support increasingly recognises the role of animal loss.

What You Can Do

Include your pets in personal disaster preparedness plans
Support inclusion of animal evacuation in local emergency management planning
Donate to World Animal Protection or equivalent organisations active in disaster response
Advocate for national and international disaster frameworks to include animal welfare standards