Natural disasters cause enormous livestock welfare harm, and pre-disaster preparedness planning is essential to reduce suffering during and after emergencies.
Livestock welfare during natural disasters is a largely invisible emergency welfare problem that affects millions of animals globally each year. Animals drowned in enclosed buildings, burned in fires, or left without feed and water following evacuations experience prolonged suffering that adequate preparedness could substantially reduce. Emergency planning including livestock evacuation routes, emergency slaughter capacity, and stockperson emergency response training saves both animal lives and welfare. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of the extreme weather events that cause these disasters, making preparedness investment increasingly urgent and cost-effective relative to disaster response costs.