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Rescuing animals during disasters - United States
In a disaster, animals can’t ask for helpDisaster Preparedness Month: create an emergency plan that includes your pets
Storms, floods and fires continue to increase in frequency and intensity across Europe, displacing thousands of humans and animals alike. Many of these disasters can occur in a very short period of time, giving those affected very little time to prepare and evacuate. The number of multi-million euro disasters has nearly doubled over the past quarter century, with climate change exacerbating the rate and magnitude of such catastrophes.
Animals are critical to human society culturally, economically, and psychologically—their safety and well being must be a key consideration in disaster response planning at all levels of community and government.
According to Céline Sissler-Bienvenu, IFAW Program Manager for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction in Europe, “People and animals are being displaced and put in dire situations more and more frequently due to disasters. When this happens, IFAW is ready to respond, working to return a sense of normality – bringing hope to those affected. This could be through rehabilitating injured animals, reintroducing wildlife back into its natural environment, or reuniting families with their companion animals. We want to ensure animals are not left behind in disasters.”
IFAW is marking October as Disaster Preparedness Month in Europe, timed to International Disaster Risk Reduction Day on 13 October. The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies so as to reduce risk for both animals and people. In light of this, IFAW has created a checklist for preparedness for everyone’s favourite furry loved ones: pets.
Create a disaster response plan for your pets
Preparing ahead of time ensures a swifter transition to safe environments during a crisis. You will be grateful you did it and so will your beloved pet.
Our work can’t get done without you. Please give what you can to help animals thrive.
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