Disasters displace or kill millions of animals annually. Prior planning for evacuation, sheltering and reunification dramatically improves animal welfare outcomes and reduces human trauma associated with animal loss.
Animals cannot advocate for themselves in disaster situations and are therefore entirely dependent on prior human planning. Unplanned evacuation with companion animals results in improvised, stressful transport; animals left behind face dehydration, starvation, injury and death. Livestock that cannot be evacuated face prolonged suffering if farms are inaccessible after disasters. The welfare case for pre-disaster planning is overwhelming - and the human case is equally strong, as owners who cannot protect their animals suffer profound psychological harm. Emergency management systems that integrate animal welfare planning save both animal and human lives.