Environmental Welfare

Welfare of Animals in Extreme Weather Events

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity; animal welfare in heatwaves, floods, droughts, and hurricanes requires dedicated emergency planning.

Key Facts

The 2022 European heatwave caused significant farm and wildlife animal mortality
Hurricane Katrina left an estimated 600,000 pets abandoned or dead
Climate change is directly increasing extreme weather event frequency
Animal emergency response capabilities have improved significantly since Hurricane Katrina
Pre-planning dramatically reduces animal suffering outcomes in weather emergencies

Welfare Considerations

Extreme weather animal welfare emergencies are preventable through pre-planning but still cause enormous suffering when they occur. Climate change is making this worse, creating an urgent need for animal welfare to be integrated into climate adaptation planning.

What You Can Do

Create a household emergency evacuation plan for all your animals
Donate to animal emergency response organizations
Advocate for inclusion of animal welfare in local emergency management plans
Support climate action as the primary solution to increasing extreme weather animal welfare crises