Natural disasters including floods, wildfires, and hurricanes cause mass animal welfare crises requiring coordinated emergency response for both companion animals and livestock.
Animal welfare in disasters is inadequately planned for at government level in most countries. Companion animals left behind during evacuations suffer from abandonment, injury, and death. After Hurricane Katrina, over 250,000 pets were abandoned. The PETS Act requires state and local disaster plans to include animals but implementation varies. Livestock in flooded areas drown when unable to exit structures. Wildfire burns cause severe, prolonged suffering in animals unable to flee. Wildlife affected by disasters including the Australian bushfires of 2019-2020 require coordinated rescue, triage, and rehabilitation. Emergency veterinary care networks and trained volunteer organizations improve response capacity but are chronically underfunded.