Natural disasters and emergency evacuations frequently separate companion animals from owners with severe welfare consequences that emergency planning can prevent.
Companion animal emergency welfare is a welfare challenge with a policy solution: integrating pets into emergency management planning from the outset rather than treating them as afterthoughts. When owners cannot evacuate with pets, they may refuse evacuation entirely, endangering both themselves and their animals. When pets are separated, they endure severe fear and potential death in abandoned homes. The welfare solution — pet-friendly evacuation planning, emergency shelter accommodation, and community pet rescue networks — is straightforward when political will exists to implement it.