Natural disasters create acute animal welfare crises that require coordinated rescue and sheltering responses.
Disasters expose the deep bond between humans and animals while creating acute welfare crises. Animals left behind during evacuations face drowning, starvation, injury, and disease. Post-disaster, displaced animals suffer stress, disorientation, and physical hardship. Integrating animal welfare into emergency management planning — including evacuation, sheltering, and reunification — saves both animal and human lives.