ASPCA Disaster Response Experts Urge Pet Owners to Include Pets in Preparedness Plans Amid Highly Active Hurricane Season Predictions

NEW YORK, N.Y. — In recognition of National Preparedness Month (September), and in response to above-normal 2024 hurricane season activity predictions, ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) disaster response experts are sharing lifesaving disaster preparedness tips and urging pet owners to include pets in all emergency plans.

A new report from NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicts an extraordinarily active Atlantic hurricane season, caused by near-record warm ocean temperatures and other atmospheric factors. With an increase in the intensity and frequency of natural disasters, more companion animals will be impacted by extreme weather situations, including high temperatures, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and tornadoes. In the last few weeks alone, the ASPCA’s specially trained team of disaster response personnel has been on the ground in California assisting with relief efforts for the devastating Park Fire, as well as the Southeast to provide much-needed support in response to Tropical Storm Debby.

“Thorough, effective disaster and emergency preparedness plans are essential among pet owners, especially as animal welfare organizations and shelters across the country continue to face capacity and resource challenges, making it even more difficult for them to support at-risk animals and pet owners impacted when disaster strikes,” said Susan Anderson, Director of Disaster Response for the ASPCA National Field Response Team. “With more than 80 percent of pet owners living in a community that experiences disaster situations, it’s critical to be your pet’s first line of defense. During National Preparedness Month and beyond, we hope pet owners take the necessary precautionary measures to ensure that their families – including their pets – remain safe and healthy."

The ASPCA’s lifesaving disaster preparedness tips include:

• If you evacuate, take your pets with you. Never leave your pets behind or tether them to poles or trees, which prevents them from escaping high waters and getting to safe areas.
• Arrange a safe haven for your pets, like boarding kennels, emergency shelters, pet-friendly hotels, or a friend or family member’s home.
• Prepare emergency supplies and travel kits with pet ID tags, food, clean water, medications, a pet carrier, food and water bowls, and other necessities. Prepare enough supplies for at least 7 to 10 days.
• Secure copies of your pet’s medical records and a photo of you and your pet together in case you get separated.
• Make sure all pets are wearing identification tags with up-to-date contact information. The ASPCA also recommends checking microchip registration information to ensure that contact information is accurate.

Since the inception of the ASPCA’s disaster response team in 2010, the ASPCA has responded to more than 77 disasters and assisted over 128,000 animals in crisis. In 2023 alone, ASPCA disaster response personnel responded to 13 requests for help across 11 states in the U.S., assisting over 6,700 animals impacted by disasters.

In addition to providing boots-on-the-ground assistance in response to disasters, the ASPCA works closely with local agencies across the country to help enhance their animal response capabilities through grants and training opportunities. Since 2021, the ASPCA has awarded $2.4 million in grant funding to authorized disaster response agencies providing support to companion animals, equines, and their owners in communities impacted by or at high risk of natural disasters. The ASPCA also works with lawmakers to increase access to co-sheltering opportunities to keep people and pets together when they are displaced by natural or manmade disasters. In recent years, the ASPCA has led efforts to enact laws in California, Colorado, and Nevada to help ensure that local governments designate pet-friendly sheltering sites to give people a safe and comfortable place to evacuate with their pets. In 2020, Florida enacted a similar ASPCA-supported law requiring every county that establishes emergency shelters to designate a shelter that can accommodate people with pets in emergency situations.

To learn more about incorporating pets into disaster preparedness plans, visit aspca.org/disasterprep.