New Orleans, LA 9/8/05 -- Residents who stayed behind with pets are leaving after police told them the pets can go with them. Many residents have been in New Orleans without electricity or tap water for ten days. New Orleans is being evacuated as a result of floods and damage caused by hurricane Katrina.

Image by Liz Roll

New Orleans resident evacuates with pets after Hurricane Katrina (2005).

Eureka, MO, 03/22/2008 -- Members of the Missouri Humane Society along with a volunteer large animal rescue group, Missouri Emergency Response Service, go out on a mission to rescue 13 cattle that were stuck in flood waters. A member of the team prompts the cattle to go in the direction of higher ground.

Image by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Volunteer emergency personnel move cattle to higher ground during a flood in Missouri (2008).

East Grand Forks, MN, 04/01/1997 -- Humane Society of the United States volunteers wade through flood waters to rescue stranded pets.

Image by David Saville, FEMA

Humane Society volunteer rescues stranded pets after Minnesota flood (1997).

Animals & Pets

The best way to protect your household from the effects of a disaster is to have a disaster plan. If you are a pet owner, that plan must include your pets. Being prepared can save their lives.(1)

Cold Weather

Cold Weather Pet Safety by the American Veterinary Medical Association, covers steps to take to keep a variety of different pets safe during winter weather.

Emergency Plans

Pets and Disasters from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) covers steps to take to make a disaster plan and evacuation kit, sheltering in place, sheltering during an evacuation. Note: this resource includes a list of links for several national directories for pet friendly hotels, and their toll-free numbers.

Disaster Preparedness from the ASPCA that covers: preparing for disaster with your pets: How to get a Rescue Alert sticker for your home; arranging a safe haven for your pets if you must evacuate; preparing emergency supplies and pet traveling kits; designating caregivers in case something happens to you; how to prepare for evacuation; geographic and climatic considerations; plus special considerations for birds, reptiles and small animals.

Animals in Evacuation Shelters: Many shelters cannot accommodate pets; this page from the CDC covers ways to minimize health risks if animals are housed in a public evacuation shelter.

Farm Animals

Caring for Animals, a page on the FEMA website, includes Disaster and Cold Weather Guidelines for large animals, at http://www.ready.gov/caring-animals

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(1) American Red Cross, "Prepare Your Home and Family > Pets" at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/pets accessed on 1/30/2014.

Contact

Challis Mathes
Horticulture Resource Educator/Team Lead
cjm438@cornell.edu
585-753-2557

Last updated April 19, 2025

Emergency Preparedness

If you evacuate...

If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. Pets most likely cannot survive on their own and if by some remote chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return.

The ASPCA recommends using a rescue sticker alert to let people know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers, and that it includes the types and number of pets in your household and your veterinarian's phone number.

If you must evacuate with your pets (and if time allows) write "EVACUATED" across the stickers so rescue workers don’t waste time looking for them.

Weather Information

Enter your zip code for an up-to-the-minute forecast for your area, on the National Weather Service website at http://www.weather.gov/ .

Cornell’s NY Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) pages includes a section on "Animals in Emergencies" with many useful links to state and national resources.