Earthquakes affect animals at scale through structural collapse, separation from owners, and disruption of wild habitats — welfare response requires rapid mobilisation.
Earthquake response for animals is faster and more effective when pre-planned rather than improvised. Emergency animal response teams trained in technical large animal rescue, small animal triage, and wildlife assessment can mobilise rapidly after seismic events. Trapped animals require specialised extraction without causing additional injury. Post-event welfare issues include dehydration of trapped animals, disease risk from carcasses, and the psychological trauma of separation for companion animals. The human-animal bond dimension — owners unwilling to evacuate without pets — means animal response capacity directly affects human emergency outcomes as well.