Animal Welfare in Disaster Response

Natural disasters create animal welfare emergencies affecting pets, farm animals and wildlife. Preparedness and response capacity matters greatly.

Key Facts

Hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes cause mass displacement of companion and farm animals
Many people refuse to evacuate without their pets, creating human safety risks
After Hurricane Katrina, PETS Act 2006 required US emergency plans to include companion animals
Farm animal emergency evacuation planning is underdeveloped in most countries
Wildlife affected by disasters including wildfires face acute welfare crises
Wildlife rehabilitation organisations expand rapidly during and after disaster events
Community preparedness including pet evacuation plans significantly reduces post-disaster welfare harm

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare in disasters is increasingly recognised as an emergency management priority. The scale of welfare harm from disasters - millions of animals affected in major events - justifies significant investment in preparedness and response capacity. Individual preparedness including pet emergency kits and evacuation plans is the foundation. Systemic investment in farm animal emergency planning and wildlife response capacity addresses larger-scale welfare needs. Climate change is increasing disaster frequency, making this increasingly urgent.

What You Can Do

Prepare a pet emergency kit including food, water, medications and carrier for 72 hours
Include your pets in your household evacuation plan and identify pet-friendly emergency accommodation
Support wildlife rehabilitation organisations that respond to disaster events
Advocate for farm animal emergency planning to be included in agricultural policy frameworks