Here's a statistic that stopped me in my tracks when I first encountered it in my emergency management work:
During Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of people refused to evacuate because they were not allowed to bring their pets. Some of them died as a result.
Let that sink in.
This wasn't a fringe occurrence. It was common enough that Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act in 2006, requiring state and local emergency plans to account for household pets and service animals.
And yet — in my experience working with families on their emergency preparedness plans — pet emergency planning remains one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle.
If you have a dog, cat, bird, rabbit, horse, or any other animal companion in your home, they are part of your family. And your emergency plan needs to reflect that.
Here's how to build one.
The Evacuation Problem
The first challenge with pets in emergencies is evacuation. Not every emergency shelter accepts animals. Not every hotel is pet-friendly. Not every family member or friend you might stay with welcomes pets.
Knowing this before a disaster is critical. Before you need it, do this research:
- Identify which emergency shelters in your area accept pets. Contact your local emergency management agency — many areas have designated pet-friendly shelters or separate animal shelters that operate in tandem with human evacuations.
- Identify at least two pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation routes and in your destination area. Sites like BringFido.com make this research easy.
- Ask friends and family members who are part of your evacuation network whether they can host your pets.
Having this information now means you won't be making frantic phone calls when the evacuation order hits.
Your Pet Emergency Kit
Just like your family go-bag, your pets need their own emergency supplies ready to go. Here's what to include:
- At least 3 days of food in a sealed, waterproof container
- Water for 3 days (or a portable water filter)
- Collapsible bowls to save space
- Medications and a copy of the prescription
- Veterinary records, including vaccination records (many shelters require proof of vaccines)
- Collar with current ID tags
- Microchip documentation (and make sure the registration is current)
- A leash, harness, or carrier appropriate for your pet
- A familiar toy or blanket — this can significantly reduce stress for anxious animals
- A recent photo of you with your pet for identification purposes if you're separated
- Litter and litter box or waste bags, depending on your pet
- A basic first aid kit for animals
Keep this kit with or near your family go-bag so you're grabbing everything in one trip.
Practice Your Plan with Your Pets
Here's something most families never do: practice getting their pets ready to go.
If you've ever tried to get a cat into a carrier in a calm moment, you know this takes time. In an emergency, with smoke in the air and sirens going off, it's exponentially harder.
Regularly leave the carrier out so your cat associates it with something normal, not just stress. Practice loading your dog into the car quickly. Know which pets can be left in carriers together safely and which cannot.
If you have multiple animals, map out how many people it takes to safely and quickly move them all. Is that realistic with the people in your household? If not, who can you call?
Don't Forget Larger Animals
If you have horses, goats, chickens, or other livestock, your planning needs to start even earlier and go even deeper.
- Know your county's evacuation routes for livestock trailers.
- Identify boarding facilities in your region.
- Have trailers and transportation arranged before you need them — don't wait until the last hour.
- Make sure animals are tagged or marked for identification.
Large animal evacuation is one of the most complex pieces of rural emergency planning, and it's worth getting professional guidance specific to your situation.
If You Have to Leave Without Them
In a genuine emergency, sometimes the safest decision is to leave and come back.
If that happens: leave pets in an interior room with food and water, and place a note on your door indicating how many animals are inside, what kind, and your contact information. Leave it for emergency responders who may enter your home.
Never leave pets chained outside during a disaster.
The Bigger Picture
Our animals depend on us completely. They can't make their own plans. They can't read evacuation alerts. They trust us to have thought this through.
Building them into your emergency plan isn't just a kindness — it's a responsibility. And honestly, it's one of the more motivating parts of emergency preparedness for a lot of families. Nothing makes you more committed to getting prepared than picturing what could happen to the creatures who love you unconditionally.
Does your emergency plan include your pets? If not, this week is a great time to start. Share this post with any pet-loving family member or friend who you know hasn't thought about this — because the truth is, most people haven't. And a little nudge from someone they trust might be exactly what gets them started.