Natural disasters including floods, wildfires, and hurricanes create animal welfare emergencies requiring organized response and pre-planned evacuation protocols.
Animal welfare in disaster response has improved significantly since Hurricane Katrina, when thousands of companion animals died because evacuation plans excluded them. The PETS Act and subsequent emergency planning improvements have institutionalized animal inclusion in disaster response planning. Farm animal disaster welfare remains an area requiring development — the scale of farm animal populations and the species-specific requirements for transport and temporary housing create logistical challenges that are rarely pre-planned. Wildlife disaster response is more reactive than proactive, with established protocols primarily for marine mammals, seabirds, and a few other focal species.