Challenges of Managing Animals in Disasters in the U.S

Abstract

Common to many of the repeated issues surrounding animals in disasters in the U.S. is a pre-existing weak animal health infrastructure that is under constant pressure resulting from pet overpopulation. Unless this root cause is addressed, communities remain vulnerable to similar issues with animals they and others have faced in past disasters. In the US the plight of animals in disasters is frequently viewed primarily as a response issue and frequently handled by groups that are not integrated with the affected community's emergency management. In contrast, animals, their owners, and communities would greatly benefit from integrating animal issues into an overall emergency management strategy for the community. There is no other factor contributing as much to human evacuation failure in disasters that is under the control of emergency management when a threat is imminent as pet ownership. Emergency managers can take advantage of the bond people have with their animals to instill appropriate behavior amongst pet owners in disasters.

Keywords: animals; disaster; emergency management; mitigation; pet overpopulation; planning; preparedness; recovery; response.

Figure 1

Summary of the number of States and projects funded to support disaster preparedness for animals and the approximate amount of funding per project (Fiscal Years 2006–2010); most projects supported animal agriculture. Source: FEMA, 2011.

Figure 2

Summary of the total number of projects funded and funding obligated by FEMA to support disaster preparedness for animals (Fiscal Years 2007–2010); most projects supported animal agriculture. Source: FEMA, 2011.

Figure 3

Chart correlating the likelihood of pet owners not evacuating with the number of pets owned and whether the household has children [21].

Figure 4

Proportion of pet-owning households that did not evacuate their pets from a slow and a rapid onset disaster [25,26].

Figure 5

Chart showing an inverse correlation between the strength of pet owners’ bond with their pets and the likelihood that they will evacuate their pet in both slow and rapid onset disasters [28].

Figure 6

Proportion of all evacuated households that attempted to rescue pets after the owners evacuated without their pets from a slow and a rapid onset disaster [28].