How to Prepare Your Pet for an Emergency

This question may come as a surprise. Perhaps it seems alarmist or exaggerated to you, yet it is essential. It could save your companion's life… and perhaps yours during a future catastrophe.

You are thinking: "In any case, I will never leave my animal behind if I have to evacuate."

I have no doubt about that. But on the ground, a harsh reality sets in: love for your companion is not enough when everything around you is collapsing.

In an emergency, the difference comes down to one word: PREPARATION.

Why is this question crucial?

A look at Katrina: the disaster that changed everything.

In the United States, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. The world saw flooded neighborhoods and separated families… but the media overlooked another tragedy playing out in silence, invisible.

Between 100,000 and 250,000 pets were abandoned or lost. Up to 70,000 died. Not because their owners didn't love them, but because nothing had been planned for them. Their needs had not been anticipated.

Evacuation buses refused animals. Shelters displayed signs saying: "No animals allowed." And one scene would become the symbol of a broken system: a police officer tearing the dog "Snowball" from a child's arms before they boarded a bus. The child screamed and vomited. The whole world was devastated.

Result: 44% of those who refused to evacuate did so to avoid abandoning their animal. Some would survive; others would not.

The United States learned its lesson. Europe, not yet.

Less than a year after Katrina, a federal law, the PETS Act, was passed. To receive government aid for organizing relief efforts, states must integrate animals into their evacuation plans.

Three years later, when Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana, humans and animals evacuated together: transport, housing, tracking—everything was provided for. It was a success!

This legislative change is not limited to an act of compassion. It also addresses a major public health issue, as studies have shown that:

Losing one's animal during a catastrophe can cause severe psychological trauma, sometimes more intense than the loss of a home,
Up to one-third of healthcare personnel may refuse to work if they have no solution for their animals, weakening the entire emergency system.

While the United States has learned, Europe has no equivalent legislative framework.

Yet our continent, which is warming twice as fast as the global average, is facing increasingly frequent and intense disasters: the Ahrweiler flash flood in 2015 in Germany, Storm Alex in 2020 in France, the fires around Athens in 2023 in Greece, Storm Dana over Valencia in 2024 in Spain… Everywhere, owners have had to flee in minutes, leaving behind animals they never found again.

In Europe, nothing guarantees that your animal can evacuate or be housed with you: without legislation, emergency services are not required to accept your animal during an evacuation.

While in France, emergency services may help you evacuate with your companion, your true guarantee remains your personal preparation.

How do you know if you are prepared for your animal's well-being?

Here are 3 essential questions to ask yourself today.

1. Do you have an emergency kit for your animal?

When you need to leave in minutes, it is already too late to improvise. An emergency kit is not just a bag packed in a rush. It is a set designed to allow your animal to last between 2 and 10 days, depending on your situation.

Needs vary by species, breed, age, health status, behavior, etc. Thus, a diabetic cat will not have the same needs as a young dachshund in peak health. An exotic pet (NAC), meanwhile, requires specific equipment.

Do you know exactly what your animal needs to survive for several days away from home?

Without a ready, accessible, and complete kit, your companion is not prepared. A well-designed emergency kit, however, saves lives.

2. Do you have an evacuation plan that includes your animal?

An effective evacuation plan is not limited to "leaving quickly." It includes, among other things, potential routes, alternative destinations, emergency contacts, and your animal's specificities:

How does it react under stress?
Does it have special needs?
Can it coexist with other animals in a collective shelter?
etc.

In France, and more broadly in Europe, few emergency shelters accept animals. Having an evacuation plan is therefore not a luxury: it is a necessity.

3. Is your pet properly identified?

In case of separation during a disaster, identification is your best hope of being reunited with your companion.

After Katrina, less than 5% of rescued animals were reunited with their owners, primarily due to inadequate identification.

A microchip, collar with an engraved tag, and recent photographs form the winning trio. Added to this is a new, valuable asset: the free French application Lost’him, whose "Pet Match" AI significantly increases the chances of reunification by mobilizing both a community and powerful algorithms.

A true modern-day lifebuoy in the event of a crisis.

Preparing your animal: an act of love, an act of prevention

We don't like to imagine the worst. Yet, preparing your fur-baby today means giving them the best chance to stay by your side tomorrow.

Your animal depends entirely on you: they cannot prepare their own kit, nor can they understand the urgency. Your responsibility begins now, while things are calm.

What if we took action together?

Preparation doesn't take months: it just requires starting.

My name is Céline Sissler-Bienvenu.

I have led domestic and wildlife rescue operations in Europe and Africa for renowned NGOs. I have intervened in major disasters ranging from fires in Greece to the war in Ukraine, and contributed to saving over 200,000 animals in three years.

One thing became clear: we save animal (and human) lives during a crisis, but we protect even more when we act beforehand. That is why I have chosen to dedicate myself to prevention and preparedness, to help individuals, communities, and organizations committed to protecting animals anticipate and plan for the unthinkable.

To this end, I founded Planimalia consulting, the first consulting agency dedicated to integrating animals into disaster prevention and preparedness.

How can I help you?

With Planimalia consulting, I offer tailored support for you and your animal, putting my field experience and expertise at the service of your preparation.

I help you develop your kit, your evacuation plan, your identification strategy, and your organization based on your specific risks… all adapted to your animal, your household, and your environment.

An identified, equipped animal accustomed to its gear, with a prepared owner: that is a successful rescue.

Because every animal deserves to be protected. Because every owner deserves a plan. Because it is never too early to prepare, but it can be too late.

A big thank you to Céline for shedding light on an essential subject for our animals. Teckelshop is proud to relay her message of prevention and preparation.

You can easily find Céline Sissler-Bienvenu on LinkedIn.

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