Introduction

Disasters, like pets, come in many different shapes and sizes: Hurricanes Andrew, Hugo, and Floyd; the midwest floods of 1993; earthquakes in California; tornadoes in Oklahoma; wildfires in California, Florida, and New Mexico; a train accident involving tankers of propane gas in Wisconsin. These were all disasters that threatened a community, endangering the lives of both people and animals. While there are generally plans in place to help people impacted by disasters, similar planning for animals is a new issue for many communities.

Human nature fosters an “it will never happen to me” attitude about disasters; but “it” does happen, and it happens everywhere. Nearly every community has a highway or railroad on which vehicles carry hazardous materials on a regular basis. Nearly every state in this country is on or near a fault line and could experience an earthquake. A community disaster plan for animals must anticipate all potential disasters, from a fire at the local animal shelter to a hurricane or earthquake that impacts the entire community and surrounding areas. Large-scale disasters get the most attention, but it is the small-scale emergencies that are more likely to strike at any time, in any place.

By considering the issues involving animals in disasters and taking a proactive approach to planning on the community level, instead of a reactive approach after the damage is done, there is a greater chance that animals and their owners will survive a disaster.

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