Animals are often overlooked in emergency response planning. Understanding the welfare needs of animals in disaster and conflict situations and how to support them is an important dimension of welfare advocacy.
Disasters and conflict create acute welfare crises for animals that require specialised emergency response. Companion animals left behind in evacuations face drowning, starvation, and injury. Livestock abandoned during conflict die slowly without water and feed. Wildlife caught in flood zones or fire need rescue and rehabilitation. Planning for animals in emergency responses is not merely a welfare improvement but also a public safety measure, since emergency managers report that people refuse to evacuate without their animals. Integrating animal welfare into disaster preparedness frameworks saves both animal and human lives.