Earthquakes trap, injure, and displace animals alongside humans. Effective emergency response must include animals — both companion animals and livestock — in relief planning.
Earthquake-affected animals face welfare crises that compound rapidly after the initial event. Trapped animals in collapsed structures experience fear, pain from injuries, and progressive physiological deterioration from dehydration and starvation. Displaced companion animals undergo acute psychological distress separated from their owners in chaotic, unfamiliar environments. Livestock on roadsides after farm infrastructure collapse face injury risk and food and water deprivation. The emergency response system tends to prioritise human life — appropriately — but animals represent both welfare subjects in their own right and economic assets whose loss compounds human suffering. Pre-event planning, including animal-inclusive emergency plans, significantly improves post-earthquake welfare outcomes.