Disasters rarely happen at a convenient time. Fires, floods, severe storms, extreme heat, power failures and other emergencies can develop rapidly, leaving families with little time to make decisions. For households with companion animals, disaster preparedness needs to extend beyond human safety planning: our pets must be included from the beginning.
Animals are dependent on people for food, shelter, veterinary care and safe transportation. They may also respond to unusual sights, sounds, smells and changes in routine with fear or stress. Consequently, a disaster can create welfare risks for animals while also affecting the decisions and behaviour of the people responsible for them.
Research has shown that concerns about companion animals can influence whether people evacuate, with some owners delaying evacuation, refusing to leave, or attempting to return to dangerous areas to retrieve animals (Chadwin, 2017). Effective pet disaster planning is therefore not simply an animal-welfare issue; it is also an important component of human safety, public health and community resilience.
Start with a risk assessment
Good preparation begins well before an emergency.
Consider the hazards most likely to affect your area. Depending on where you live, these might include wildfire, flooding, severe storms, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, drought or infrastructure failures.
Ask:
Planning should account for the possibility that you are not at home when disaster strikes. Establishing a trusted “buddy system” with a neighbour, friend or family member can provide an important safety net if you are unable to reach your animals yourself (FEMA, 2025).
Have an evacuation plan — before you need one
One of the most important principles of pet disaster preparedness is simple: If it isn’t safe for you to stay, it isn’t safe for your pets to stay either.
The American Red Cross recommends planning in advance where pets can be taken because many emergency shelters and accommodation providers do not accept animals (American Red Cross, 2025).
Identify several possible destinations rather than relying on a single option. These could include:
Keep contact details for these organisations somewhere accessible both digitally and offline.
Identification can make reunification possible
Pets can become disorientated during and after disasters. Damaged buildings, unfamiliar environments, loud noises and changes to familiar scent trails can increase the likelihood of animals becoming lost (American Red Cross, 2025).
Every pet should have reliable identification.
For dogs and cats, this should include:
Keep a photograph of yourself with your pet as well as clear photographs showing the animal’s distinguishing features. This can be particularly useful when attempting to establish ownership of animals that have been displaced during a disaster (American Red Cross, 2025).
Build a pet emergency kit
A pet emergency kit should be prepared in advance, stored somewhere accessible and checked regularly.
Essential supplies may include:
Food and water
Medical supplies
Transportation and containment
Hygiene
Comfort and enrichment
The contents should reflect the individual animal. A pet with a chronic condition, special diet or medication requirement will need additional preparation (FEMA, 2025; American Red Cross, 2025).
Keep the kit somewhere that is easy to reach rather than buried at the back of a cupboard or stored in an area that could become inaccessible during a flood or fire.
Preparation is also behavioural
Disaster preparedness isn’t only about equipment. Behavioural preparation matters too.
An animal that has never entered a carrier may resist being placed inside one during an emergency. A dog that has never travelled in a vehicle may become highly distressed when suddenly transported. An animal that is unfamiliar with wearing a harness may attempt to escape.
These situations can be addressed before an emergency through gradual habituation and positive reinforcement.
For example, cats can be taught that their carrier predicts positive experiences rather than only veterinary visits. Dogs can practise calmly entering and travelling in their transport space. Both can become familiar with emergency equipment and routines through short, low-stress training sessions.
The goal isn’t to rehearse the disaster itself. It is to ensure that the behaviours required during an evacuation are already familiar.
The American Red Cross specifically recommends including pets in evacuation drills so that they become more comfortable entering carriers and travelling (American Red Cross, 2025).
Consider the emotional experience of the animal
Disasters can be profoundly stressful. Animals may experience unfamiliar environments, changes in routine, separation from familiar people or animals, unusual smells and sounds, and reduced opportunities to perform normal behaviours.
Stress responses can include:
Importantly, an animal that is normally calm may behave very differently when frightened.
After an emergency, animals should therefore be handled carefully and kept under appropriate physical control. The American Red Cross notes that pets may become disoriented, defensive or aggressive following disasters and recommends close supervision while hazards remain present (American Red Cross, 2025).
This is where an understanding of animal behaviour and emotional wellbeing becomes particularly valuable.
Don’t forget the “stay-at-home” plan
Not every emergency requires evacuation. In some situations, remaining at home may be the safest option.
Identify a safe area within the home where animals can be protected from hazards. Bring outdoor animals inside where appropriate, secure doors and windows, and remove access to potentially dangerous materials.
Have enough supplies to remain at home if normal services are disrupted.
However, a stay-at-home plan should never become an excuse to ignore an official evacuation order. Your plan needs to include clear triggers for when staying is no longer safe and evacuation must begin.
What happens after the disaster?
The danger doesn’t necessarily end when the immediate event is over.
Floodwater may contain contaminants. Fires can leave behind unstable structures, sharp debris and toxic materials. Storms may damage fencing and gates. Familiar environments may be completely transformed.
Pets should be kept under control until the environment has been assessed as safe. Do not assume that a normally reliable dog can safely roam a damaged property, or that a cat will automatically return home.
Animals should also be monitored for injury, illness and ongoing behavioural changes. Veterinary attention should be sought when necessary.
Recovery should include restoring predictability and routine wherever possible: familiar food, sleeping areas, social contact, enrichment and opportunities for normal behaviour can all help animals regain a sense of security.
Disaster preparedness is a one health issue
The welfare of people and animals is closely interconnected during disasters.
When companion animals are left behind, people may place themselves, emergency responders or others at increased risk by refusing to evacuate or attempting to return to unsafe areas. Displaced animals may also be exposed to injury, starvation, disease and zoonotic risks (Chadwin, 2017).
This means that incorporating animals into emergency planning isn’t an optional extra. It is part of creating resilient households and resilient communities.
The World Veterinary Association has similarly called for national preparedness plans and coordinated veterinary disaster response that specifically consider animal protection (World Veterinary Association, 2024).
This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where communities face risks including wildfires, flooding and severe weather. Although South Africa has a national disaster-management framework, animal protection has historically received less formal attention within emergency response structures (Humane World for Animals South Africa, 2026). Community-level preparedness can therefore play an important role in reducing animal suffering.
Your pet disaster checklist
Before disaster strikes, ask yourself:
☐ Does my pet have reliable identification?
☐ Do I have recent photographs and veterinary records?
☐ Do I have a suitable carrier, harness or lead?
☐ Is my emergency pet kit ready?
☐ Do I have enough food and essential medication?
☐ Do I know where I would evacuate to?
☐ Have I confirmed that my destination accepts animals?
☐ Does someone have access to my pets if I’m not home?
☐ Are my pets comfortable with their carriers or evacuation equipment?
☐ Have I practised getting them ready to leave?
☐ Do I know the local emergency contacts?
☐ Do I have a backup plan?
Preparation is an act of welfare
We cannot always prevent disasters. We can, however, prepare for them.
For companion animals, effective disaster preparedness combines practical planning with an understanding of behaviour and welfare. The earlier we prepare, the less we have to rely on rushed decisions when people and animals are frightened and conditions are changing rapidly.
A disaster plan that includes your pets is not simply a plan for getting them out.
It is a plan for keeping them safe, reducing their stress, protecting their welfare and helping them return to normal afterwards.
Prepare before you need to. Because when disaster strikes, your pet’s safety depends on the decisions you made today.
References
American Red Cross. (2025). Pet Disaster Preparedness & Recovery. American Red Cross.
Chadwin, R. (2017). Evacuation of Pets During Disasters: A Public Health Intervention to Increase Resilience. American Journal of Public Health, 107(9), 1413–1417.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (2025). Prepare Your Pets for Disasters.
Humane World for Animals South Africa. (2026). Disaster Response South Africa.
South African Government. (2002). Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.
World Veterinary Association. (2024). WVA Position Statement on the Protection of Animals During Disasters and Armed Conflict.
