How to Prepare Pets for Natural Disasters

Prepared, practical guidance for evacuation, shelter-in-place planning, and the pet documents most guardians forget.

I’ve lived in regions with high risk of natural disasters all my life. In Oklahoma, it’s Tornado Alley that comes to mind (correctly, not one but two places I’ve lived have been, if temporarily, wiped off the map by F5 tornadoes), but the weather is volatile in my area of the state all year long – we have extreme ice and snow events, severe flash flooding, and at least once a year, it’s wildfires that come sweeping down the plains. In New Orleans, Louisiana, hurricanes and tropical storms, the occasional tornado or water spout, and the continual threat of extreme street flooding with heavy rain. In all of these events, the best case scenario might be days to weeks of having no access to basic utilities like water and electricity, no ability to acquire necessary supplies or medications, and limited to no ability to leave the immediate area or receive assistance.

There might be all manner of possible natural disasters, but one thing is a constant; they rarely wait until it’s convenient to happen.

Case in point: one night in August 2005, I went to bed thinking how horrible it was that Florida was once again going to be slammed by a giant hurricane. While I slept, my reality drastically altered as the storm turned. I woke up to the local weather lady pleading for everyone to get out of the city immediately, as well as increasing chaos. I had only a few hours to find a gas station with any gas left, get all of my pets and their things together, evacuate the dogs at the daycare and boarding facility I managed, and get out of New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit. I had absolutely nothing prepared for a sudden, major incident.

I don’t recommend that, and it was extremely lucky that everything worked out – counting on luck is very poor preparedness!

Whether you live in a region prone to hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, or winter storms, knowing how to prepare pets for natural disasters is just as important as preparing the rest of your household.

When evacuation orders are issued or severe weather hits unexpectedly, there isnโ€™t time to search for vaccination records or guess at medication dosages. Something important is very likely to be forgotten as you hurriedly get things together. A clear pet emergency plan reduces stress, protects your animals, and allows you to act quickly and calmly. Calm expedience is a key component to ensuring safety for you and your pets during any emergency.

Pets rely on us for their safety, and unlike us, they donโ€™t understand why the routine has suddenly disappeared. (Or why the weather feels weird and everyone is stressed, for that matter.) It’s part of maintaining their well-being to insulate them from stress and keep routines as similar as possible.

The good news is that pet emergency planning doesnโ€™t have to be overwhelming!

Below is a complete pet emergency checklist to help you prepare โ€” including what to pack in a pet emergency kit, which documents to gather, and how to plan for both evacuation and shelter-in-place scenarios.

I know, it’s a stressful topic. So, letโ€™s make this simple and doable.

Why Pet Disaster Preparedness Matters

In emergencies, small details become very big details, and in the stress of it all, you might forget them and jeopardize safety.

  • Some evacuation shelters require proof of vaccinations.
  • Veterinary clinics may close or operate on emergency-only hours.
  • Roads can close quickly, limiting access to pet-friendly hotels.
  • Evacuation routes change or become congested, lengthening the trip.
  • Stress can trigger fear behaviors, even in normally confident pets.

Even microchips โ€” which are incredibly important โ€” donโ€™t help if your contact information isnโ€™t current or easily accessible. You have pet insurance? You’re doing great there, but if that info isn’t accessible to you and your pet becomes ill or is injured while you’re evacuated, you might be left in a bad situation.

Preparedness isnโ€™t about assuming the worst; itโ€™s about reducing chaos if something does happen. It’s the difference between having to react to a problem during an already challenging time and acting in your pet’s best interest calmly and successfully.

A little organization now can mean calmer, easier decisions later – major win for everyone involved!

What to Put in a Pet Emergency Kit (Checklist)

Every guardian should have a grab-and-go kit ready before severe weather season begins. Keep it quickly and easily accessible, as well as protected from the elements – a waterproof bin or backpack is good. Put this with a travel-ready pet first aid kit somewhere like a hall closet next to an exit; easy and quick to grab a backpack with everything in it and ready to go on your way out the door with your pet.

Hereโ€™s what to include:

Essentials (3โ€“7 Days Minimum)

  • Food (sealed, labeled, portioned if possible)
  • Bottled water (separate from household supply)
  • Food and water bowls
  • Medications (clearly labeled with dosage instructions)
  • Leash, harness, and/or carrier
  • Waste bags or litter supplies
  • A comfort item (blanket, favorite toy, etc.)

Identification & Records

  • Printed vaccination records
  • Microchip number
  • Pet insurance information
  • Adoption, registration, etc. records
  • Recent photo of your pet (on your phone and printed)
  • Digital copies of these records are a big bonus
  • Collar and/or harness with updated, secured ID tags

Safety & Practical Supplies

  • Towel (for drying or stress reduction)
  • Basic first-aid supplies (strongly recommend a pet first aid kit for ease)
  • Muzzle (if appropriate and your dog is trained to wear one comfortably)
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Non-electrical emergency heating/cooling items
  • Pet-safe wipes for quick cleaning on-the-go/in the car
  • Dog seatbelt (use only with harness) or carrier/crate to secure in the car
  • Additional calming items for especially anxious pets
    • vet-approved natural calming treats/chews
    • vet-prescribed anxiety medication
    • pheromone-based calming products
    • Calming wearables like Happy Hoodie or Thundershirt

Tip: Rotate food and medications every few months so nothing expires unnoticed. Don’t feed kibble? See tips here.

The Important Documents to Include in Your Pet Emergency Plan

Supplies are often easier to think about, after all, many of them we use on a daily basis with our pets as it is. Documentation is where many people can struggle; there can be a lot of it, it’s rarely brought out or needed, and is too often scattered around.

In an emergency, someone else may need to care for your pet โ€” temporarily or unexpectedly. Having important documents becomes critical to helping ensure this temporary caretaker is able to provide optimal, safe care while maintaining well-being. These documents can also help prove legal guardianship, reunite your pet with you, or keep them out of trouble.

Make sure you have written copies of:

  • Feeding instructions (including brand and portion-per-meal sizes)
  • Medication schedules (detailed)
  • Known allergies or sensitivities
  • Behavioral notes (fear triggers, handling preferences, bite history)
  • Primary veterinarian contact information
  • Nearest emergency veterinary hospital
  • Emergency caregiver authorization
  • Microchip company contact details
  • Again – veterinary records documenting the pet’s care and health

This information should be printed and stored with your emergency kit โ€” not just saved in your phone. While I always recommend keeping digital copies (store with a cloud service so it’s accessible from any device) as well, printed copies are necessary. Why? Some places will only accept “hard” copies, and neither you nor your vet might be able to access and print, email, or fax copies during an emergency.

To make this easier, Iโ€™ve created a free printable Pet Emergency Info Sheet you can fill out and keep with your kit. It covers the most critical information in one organized place. You can get your Pet Emergency Info Sheet below!

Pet Evacuation Checklist vs Shelter-in-Place Planning

Emergencies donโ€™t all look the same. Planning for both scenarios keeps you adaptable and equally prepared.

Evacuation Preparation

If you need to leave quickly:

  • Know where your pet carriers are at all times.
  • Research pet-friendly hotels outside your immediate region.
  • Keep your vehicle fueled during high-risk weather alerts/times.
  • Practice calmly loading pets into carriers before you ever need to.

Important: Never leave pets behind during mandatory evacuations. Conditions can worsen unpredictably. Hopefully, that isn’t necessary to say to the readers of this blog, but every year, pets are left behind. Always stay aware of potential emergency risks near you so you can safely leave work, for example, get to your pet, and evacuate in time. Emergencies like wildfires can rapidly worsen or change, leaving guardians trapped away from their pets. Please, follow advice and/or orders from weather services and local officials – if they say evacuation is recommended or outright mandatory, evacuate.

Shelter-in-Place Preparation

If you must remain at home:

  • Identify the safest interior room.
  • Store extra water (one gallon per person per day is standard โ€” donโ€™t forget pets).
  • Keep leashes accessible even indoors in case doors or windows are damaged.
  • Grab your pet emergency kit on your way to the safe room.
  • Use white noise or calming enrichment if storms trigger anxiety.
  • Consider additional, vet-approved calming measures if anxiety is severe.
  • Ahead of time, consider potential aftermath hazards and know how you’ll exit.
  • Practice calmly going into your designated safest area, and other safety measures
    • teaching cats to go into carriers with positive reinforcement is a major safety

Planning ahead helps reduce the โ€œenergy shiftโ€ pets feel during high-stress events. When tornado sirens go off, for example, it’s always going to be stressful, but your reaction cannot be overstated in keeping your pet calmer. You know what to do and how to do it. As you calmly do so with your pet, you’re showing them that things might be a little odd, but it’s okay, and we’ve practiced this.

Tip: Use a reliable weather app that you’ve tested ahead of time to be as prepared as possible for when the weather is going to turn bad. This will allow you to best decide when to take dogs out to potty and when to start your calming procedures (which should be done at least 30 minutes before any triggering noise happens). Test it ahead of time to gauge both the accuracy of predictions (did it actually start raining at 3 pm and last about 20 minutes?) and its ability to work with cell signal only, as it is likely you’ll be disconnected from power, thus, from wifi.

Organizing Everything in One Place

A checklist is a great start! But, real peace of mind comes from having everything organized, labeled, and accessible in one system. Remember, your calm ability to act quickly is key, and these situations are not naturally calm.

Thatโ€™s why I created The Complete Pet Emergency Preparedness Binder, which includes:

  • Master Pet Profile page
  • Medication and care trackers
  • Feeding and routine instructions
  • Behavioral and handling notes
  • Emergency contact sheet
  • Temporary caregiver instructions (โ€œIf I am hospitalizedโ€ฆโ€ plan)
  • Evacuation checklist
  • Shelter-in-place checklist
  • Printable wallet emergency info card

Itโ€™s designed to sit next to your emergency kit so nothing gets forgotten when it matters most. Printable and fillable digitally (both included), this preparedness binder is easily expandable for households with multiple pets.

Get The Complete Pet Emergency Preparedness Binder here!

Final Thoughts

Preparedness isnโ€™t about panic, and you’re not being ridiculous or neurotic for it!

You’re being a responsible, caring guardian – because preparation is about protecting the animals who trust us completely.

Proper, thorough preparation can seem like a lot. Remember, you donโ€™t have to build the perfect system overnight! Start with the checklist and emergency kit. Fill out the information sheet and add to it over time – you can do this!

Future you โ€” and your pets โ€” will be grateful you did.

Common Questions

At minimum, store three days of food and water for each pet. In high-risk regions, seven days is safer.


Don’t forget/Pro Tip: Portion food using (well-sealed) baggies – one meal per portion. On each portion, label with pet name (if multiple pets), am/pm if different, and expiration date and date portioned. This might seem excessive, but this thoroughness ensures your pet’s stored food is easily accessible whether you’re sheltering in place, evacuating, or needing an emergency caretaker. Dating your portioned pet meals is extremely important! This will help you ensure the food is still fresh and safe. You will still want to inspect the food – be certain there is no evidence of spoilage, mold, or pests. Note the expiration date, but also inspect the stored food regularly.

Yes, if mandatory, always evacuate – but never leave pets behind.

Research pet-friendly shelters or hotels in advance, or if possible, make a plan to stay with pet-friendly family or friends. Ensure that the hotel, or people you know, are out of the zone of risk (this zone will vary depending on the emergency event). Also be sure that you’ve asked and kept up with pet-friendly people you can stay with.

As soon as you decide to evacuate or evacuation becomes mandatory, reserve your pet-friendly hotel room – do not wait any longer than absolutely necessary. Hotels fill up extremely quickly and will likely not be available if you wait until you have arrived at your destination.

Check your city/state’s emergency evacuation plans in advance (they should be posted online, but if not, you’ll need to place some phone calls or emails) as their pet-friendly proceedures vary greatly. Some cities, for instance, do have plans for pets of those needing evacuation transportation, either allowing pets to accompany guardians on busses or having separate pet evacuation measures coordinated with animal welfare groups. Not allowing pets in the shelter with you does not automatically mean there are no plans for evacuating pets.

Mandatory evacuations are mandatory for reason – the weather event is predicted to be one of extremely high risk to life. So, yes, you should always follow those guidelines! This does not mean having to choose between staying behind with your pet or leaving them. Researching and planning in advance is absolutely necessary to successfully navigating a mandatory evacuation with pets.

Become knowledgable, make a plan, do both as early as possible!

Bring vaccination records, microchip information, medication details, and written feeding instructions. Many evacuation shelters (for both people and their pets and those just for pets) require proof of current rabies vaccination.


If you will be boarding your pet outside of the zone of risk (lack of pet-friendly places to stay might make this necessary), you might wish to bring behavioral and general care notes as well. As possible, it’s advised to investigate pet boarding facilities ahead of time. Contacting a facility in advance will help you decide if it’s right for your pet, as well as allow you to make a reservation ensuring your pet’s spot, and being told what documents they’ll need to accept your pet.

Remember/Pro-Tip: during evacuations, pet-friendly and pet boarding accommodations will fill up very quickly. It’s essential to not only contact hotels/other pet-friendly accommodations or pet boarding facilities as soon as possible to reserve a spot, but also to check on what documents might be required. Having all the most common documents ready to go can save you considerable strife! If you’ve had to evacuate, it’s almost certain that your vet clinic will not be operating – you will not be able to contact your regular vet to send copies of vaccine and medical records to where you’ve evacuated. Boarding, daycare, and veterinary clinics will want to help your pet during an evacuation, but all have regulations they must follow to accept your pet.

Considering this now is the right thing!

Your choice to not feed kibble is valid, but you’ll need to research an acceptable alternative for emergencies. It might not be perfect or your preference to feed, but finding a more shelf-stable, general emergency food – no electricity, cooking, added fresh ingredients, or added water – is imperative. Researching ahead of time will allow you to select one that most closely matches your pet’s needs, and doesn’t have ingredients that inflame allergies or sensitivities. If you are prepared to store larger quantities of water, and it can be used with room temperature water, a freeze-dried mixture with all ingredients already in the bag could be an alternative to store during your highest risk seasons.

Why is a non-kibble diet a problem?

Feeding homemade, fresh, or mix-in style freeze dried foods can be an excellent choice for your pet – but can present complications during an emergency.


Fresh foods are not shelf-stable, they do not have very long before spoiling. Keeping your pet’s food frozen and/or refrigerated will be a problem when on the road evacuating or sheltering-in-place when power fails.

Freeze-dried foods do have a longer storage life and are easier to transport, but require water mixed in (and might require you to add your own protein source). Water often becomes unsafe to drink or is also unavailable during an emergency from household taps, you’ll need to utilize your storage of bottled water to make your pet’s food. This can be problematic; storing this quantity of water and trying to predict how much water your household and your pet (seperately) need each day, plus how much you’ll need for your pet’s food mixture per day, for an unpredictable amount of time is a lot. While many emergencies, thankfully, end up being less severe or long-lasting than predicted, things can easily go the other direction, too. You could end up without access to safe water from household taps or places to replenish bottled water supplies for longer than 3 to 7 days, and might need to conserve water supplies longer than anticipated. With nowhere to acquire any manner of pet food either, this is an obviously bad situation you’re right to consider now.

Further, if you and/or your pet must stay at an evacuation shelter, or your pet must stay with someone else/be boarded, these diets can be challenging as well. There might not be a place to prepare or store fresh foods, or anywhere in your evacuation region that sells your pet’s brand of freeze dried mixes when your supply runs out – adding stress for your pet. Additionally, while most ethical boarding facilities will accept and adhere to a pet’s diet when their food is supplied by the guardian, there are some that will only accept kibble and/or canned diets.

Additional considerations:

When making your evacuation plans (before they’re needed!) be sure you are settling on at least one location that is outside the area of risk. Once you have designated this location, you can better check out how to assure your pet’s regular diet is supplied continually and what considerations are needed if you’ll be boarding your pet.


For example, most fresh/frozen premade diets and freeze dried mixtures are purchased through scheduled shipments. Upon knowing you’ll be evacuating and if reserving a hotel or staying with people you know, you can go online and update your shipment so that it is delivered to you at that location. Should you be evacuating in your own vehicle, treat fresh/frozen pet food as you would any such perishable item for yourself; put it in a quality ice chest with plenty of ice/shipping style ice packs and do not open until necessary to keep it at maximum coldness. Evacuation drives can go on for longer than 24 hours with no real ability to stop overnight or replenish ice – it is still advisable that you have an emergency supply of dry kibble, in case fresh food spoils. This is especially concerning if feeding raw.

Many guardians will not be able to self-evacuate in their own vehicle. When relying on city/state evacuation programs or friends/family, you will do best by your pet (and yourself) if you can simplify things as much as possible. That’s going to mean simplifying your pet’s diet, too.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a city or region with pet-friendly evacuation plans (check in advance) have a simple kibble and/or canned diet ready to go with your pet. It might not be the best for your particular pet, but you can make it as applicable as possible with advanced planning. Remember, these services are not common, they are a resource to be truly appreciated regardless of how ideal! Those undertaking pet transportation, housing, and caretaking will have an incredible volume of all manner of pets to handle in this situation to the best of their abilities. Often volunteer forces in short supply, they cannot realistically provide specially stored, prepared, and served meals for hundreds of pets. They’re ensuring pets are out of the danger zone, securely kept, and monitored and attended to with compassion.

Guidance on choosing a different food:

Let go of the way you feel about your preferred pet diet. We often feel passionately about this, as we do all choices we make for our pets, but don’t allow it to be a hinderance to your pet’s overall welfare and safety in an emergency. It’s not a change for life!

Note why your pet’s current food works for them, ask yourself:


โ€ข What ingredients have shown benefits?

โ€ข What does this food not have? (Your pet’s sensitivities or allergies.)

โ€ข What is my pet’s taste preference?

This will allow you to pick an alternative, emergency-only diet that lacks what your pet might have allergies or sensitivities to (pets with specific protein allergies, digestive problems, or who need to avoid specific grain types), but that contains ingredients you’ve seen to be beneficial to their health. Don’t forget palatability! During times of stress and change, pets can lose interest in food. Keeping to a similar taste profile can help with the transition to a different food amid such a situation.

You will want to keep in mind that this food should be available to order and have delivered, or is commonly available in pet supply stores so that you can obtain more easily during evacuation. Keeping your pet on the same food until you’re back home and back to normal life will be easiest on them.


What to do with this food:

Once selected, order enough to to last for up to 7 days. Prepare individual meal portions, label them, and place these well sealed portions in your pet emergency kit. Don’t forget to check the stored emergency food for freshness and quality!

That varies by each tornado shelter. Pets might not be allowed, or only with restrictions.

It’s unfortunately common that pets are not allowed, or that there are restrictions on pet type and/or size. (In all cases, pets are required to be – and should be – in appropriate carriers or leashed.) While I, too, feel we need to progress faster on making safety measures accessible to everyone, including pet guardians, in high-risk areas, there are valid liability reasons for this. In addition to the obvious safety issue of bites, scratches, and being jumped on/knocked down, there are allergies. Many people have sensitivities or mild allergies to dogs and cats, but a few people have severe, life-threatening allergies to them. To protect others, and themselves from lawsuits, the responsible party opts to not allow pets.

Don’t assume either way – ask!

Here are some common situations and suggestions on whom to ask.

At or planning to visit a campground in a tornado-prone region:

– Campgrounds will have information on their site about tornado shelters, but if this doesn’t include pet information, find contact information and ask ahead of time.

– Strongly consider not vacationing in severe storm areas during high-risk storm seasons.

Mobile home and/or RV park, renting or owning a mobile or modular home:

– If information isn’t available on the site, check in with the rental or management office, landlord, etc. to see if a public shelter is available, where it is, and what the rules are regarding pets.

– If owning a dwelling that isn’t safe to shelter in (not in a “park” with lots), search for a public storm shelter in the neighborhood. Many areas in highly tornadic regions have public shelters or will open nearby schools, churches, and similar for those close enough. In addition to general online searches, check out neighborhood apps and groups on social media.

– Out in the country? Getting to know your closest neighbors and seeing if you and your pet would be allowed to join them in their shelter is the best idea until you can get your own.


Apartment/Multi-family housing on upper levels:

– Sheltering from a tornado on upper levels is generally inadvisable; you’ll want to ask your management office or landlord if there is a shelter on the property and what the pet rules are. If there is none or your pet is not allowed, you may want to befriend someone on the bottom level and ask to shelter there with your pet if necessary. Be sure, if getting help from someone on the bottom level, you go over a plan and exchange contacts and/or keys/door codes – tornadoes happen when people are work and overnight, scenarios where you’ll need quick contact or access.


Consider Severe Storms – Housing, Vacationing, Pets

Being a pet guardian comes with a lot of responsibility (and even more rewards) – being a guardian in severe weather regions means an additional responsibility. Reducing avoidable risk is always the best way to go.


When seeking housing, to rent or to buy, the need to shelter with your pet is a major consideration. At Coydog, we understand that life isn’t always ideal. The availability of pet-friendly rentals is often a challenge as it is, and we don’t all have the finances to purchase homes that check all the boxes. Still, always research pet-friendly public shelters, find a home that is safe to shelter within, or a home that comes with its own storm shelter if at all possible.

When traveling through high-risk regions during major storm seasons and utilizing RV parks or enjoying camping, don’t take the possibility lightly. Plan ahead, research storm shelter availability and whether it’s available to your pet as well – opt to only stay at locations that will keep your pet safest.

When adding a pet to your life in such a region, make this a part of your “best fit” considerations.

– Do you have a public storm shelter that allows pets? If so, ensure you are choosing a pet that is within the rules of admittance. Often those limits are: dogs and cats only, dogs under a certain weight limit, and sometimes, breed-based restrictions.

– Always: cats and small pets should be in carriers, and dogs of all sizes should be leashed and under your control.

Select a pet species, size, breed type, etc. that will be applicable – including one that you can keep securely under control. This is might mean rethinking a pet type, size, or breed that you’d like! But sometimes, our responsibility to our pets includes not getting one that we cannot safeguard in our current life situation.

It’s Important to remember that tornadoes give very little warning, meaning little time to get to safety with your pet. Avoiding possible risks is critical.

You might have heard that greater protections for pets and their guardians during mandatory evacuations and natural disasters became United States law some years ago. To a degree, this is true.

In the aftermath of the nightmarish, multifaceted disaster of Hurricane Katrina, some federal legislation was passed. The nation was, rightfully, horrified by the pictures, videos, and verbal accounts of the disaster in terms of pets as well as people. Just as people incapable of evacuating due to lack of transportation, finances, or health should have a way out, people should never have to choose evacuation or leaving a pet behind. This was and is true, and lawmakers did take action.

So, what happened?

In brief:

One of the great things about America is also one of the worst at times – the rights of states. Federal oversight that demanded all states do better to provide access to evacuation transportation and sheltering for those with pets and without the ability to self-evacuate simply wasn’t happening. Bi-partisan lawmakers at the time did the best they could; they laid the legal foundation, heavily encouraged it, and left it for the states to build up their specific implementation. We all hoped they would, despite experience-based reservations.

Yes, something does technically exist.

No, most states did not find it fiscally or otherwise desirable to act upon it. (We totally encourage you to annoy your state about this, it has been literal decades, and we all deserve better!)


Unfortunately, no state has done so fully, and only a handful of cities – not even entire states – have anything close to an effective, active, and humane pet and pet guardian evacuation or emergency sheltering program or requirements/protections. (Yes, including Emotional Support Animals, who do not have the legal protections of Service Animals – no matter what the ads in your feed say. During natural disasters, even the protections for legitimate Service Animals can fall short. Never assume protections exist.)

Thankfully, local and national welfare and rescue organizations step in to help as soon as they’re allowed to do so, but these life-saving actions come in the aftermath, do not come with legal authority, and rely on volunteers and donations.

We should be thankful for both any pet-friendly efforts made by our local and national representatives (and we should never stop letting our opinions be known on the importance of increasing them) and the heroism of thousands of people involved with organizations to help fill the gap for pets. But we can never forget that pets are not the priority for anyone else in emergencies and do not have true, strong, legal protections – it is our responsibility as guardians to ensure safe evacuation and shelter-in-place scenarios for our animal family members.

What should you do if reliant on evacuation/sheltering assistance as a pet guardian?

So, you’re a pet guardian who will need to use an evacuation and/or sheltering program – and neither is pet-friendly where you are. What do you do?

Firstly, please know that you’re not being thought poorly of here. Coydog exists in the real world, and while we’re all about responsible guardianship and improving the lives of pets, we support real-life guardians. Here, we recognize that the real world is full of grey areas and legit reasons, not everything is a black-and-white division of responsble and irresponsible.

I fully get it, and you are not being vilified for “having pets when you can’t afford them.” People willfully make that mistake and do not value their pets as sentient beings, as family members. Those people wouldn’t bother with ensuring their pet’s safety regardless of how financially elevated they were – remember that when you feel lumped in with them and judged on the internet. There are many valid reasons for not having personal transportation (often impossible in urban environments) or experiencing financial hardship – not every pet guardian who needs help irresponsibly went out and got pets they “couldn’t afford.”

Great pet guardians often have imperfect or challenging lives!

My best suggestions:


โ€ข Plan very early, thoroughly, and keep things consistently up-to-date. You must rely on others in this situation; don’t leave anything to chance or hanging on a vague note.

โ€ข Consider the human relationships in your life – family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and trustworthy online friends. Ask yourself the following:

– Who is outside the area of risk that you and your pet (or just your pet) could stay with?

– Is someone likely to evacuate – using their own reliable vehicle – who you both could join?

– Are any of these people both able and willing to help you and your pet in any way? If so, in what ways? How can you help each other?

โ€ข After these considerations, speak to them about your concerns and make a plan together.


โ€ข Those who you’ve planned with must be kept up with on those plans. Always check in on your mutual plans, stay up to date with each other, and address any changes that have happened. Do not wait until an emergency to find out that your plan is no longer active.

โ€ข Make back up plans. It’s always possible that things can change last minute – you need a back up plan for something this serious. Back up plans might not be ideal, but their point should be ensuring your pet is not left behind. They’re not about being a perfect solution.

Contact:

โ€ข local animal shelter and/or welfare groups

โ€ข area disaster response/relief organizations (human-focused)

Speak to them about your issue, ask for their suggestions. They might have programs or contacts you are unaware of, or otherwise be able to assist your pet if an emergency evacuation happens.

Even seeking local advice from community/area discussion and pet groups online can be a good idea; you might be directed to helpful resources, or make a friend that could help.

Don’t forget about looking regionally (Southern Plains, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, etc.) – these can be more available and better funded to take action in areas that are sparsely populated or lacking in pet resources.

At the least, all of these are great places to get information on what is, and isn’t, available, as well as further places to contact.

If you have…


โ€ข rodents

โ€ข rabbits

โ€ข reptiles

โ€ข ferrets

โ€ข birds


Or similar species, your pet might face greater obstacles during a natural disaster. It is extremely important that you plan early, and plan for additional costs – their carriers and special feeding requirements, as well as places that might be able to board them during an evacuation, can all be more costly. As they typically rely on specialty diets and do poorly with dietary changes, consider keeping more food stored than reccommended. For reptiles that typically go for several days (or more) after a meal, try to feed before a predicted weather event that could make feeding while sheltering in place or evacuating challenging. Ensure ferrets are up to date on vaccinations.

Some of these pets might not be allowed in evacuation or public shelters.

Natural disasters with fish, amphibians, and aquatic-based pets are extremely challenging. Evacuating with them is often impossible, and without power, even sheltering in place (when applicable) becomes difficult. These pets might require investing in a generator for maximum safety. Frequent water changes to cope with lack of filtration and water losing oxygen can help fish for a time, and will require a large volume of stored purified water.


For pets more typically labeled exotic, your pet is unlikely to be accepted for public evacuation or sheltering, and you must consider the risk to your pet beyond the natural disaster. Be sure you are aware of laws regarding traveling with your pet, vaccinations that might be required, and other things that could impact your pet’s safety from a legal perspective.

A pet care professional, writer, and lifelong animal advocate with decades of hands-on experience in behavior-informed, low-stress care for dogs, cats, and other companion animals.

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