Natural disasters displace and injure thousands of animals, and integrated disaster response planning that includes animals improves welfare outcomes and supports affected human communities.
Disaster animal welfare is inseparable from human welfare outcomes. People who refuse to evacuate rather than leave pets put both themselves and rescue workers at risk. Animals left behind face drowning, starvation, dehydration, and injury. Planning that integrates animal evacuation and shelter needs into community disaster response improves outcomes for both species. The post-Katrina recognition that animals and human attachment to them must be part of disaster planning has driven significant progress, but gaps remain in preparedness for large animals and agricultural livestock.