Natural disasters cause enormous animal suffering, and integrating animals into disaster preparedness and response saves lives and supports human recovery.
Animals in disasters cannot evacuate themselves and are often abandoned during human emergencies. The suffering from burns, drowning, starvation, and dehydration in disaster-affected animals is enormous. Integrating animals into disaster preparedness plans saves both animal and human lives — people are more willing to evacuate when their companion animals are included. Advocates should push for animal-inclusive emergency planning as standard.