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Protect Your Pets in an Emergency

Make plans to ensure your pet's safety before, during, and after an emergency. The following are organizations and resources that you can contact or access to help you plan how to protect your pets.

If you don't have a plan and need information quickly in an emergency, contact:

  • Local Animal Shelters
    Because most emergency shelters do not admit pets, local animal shelters may be able to offer advice, such as what to do with your pets if you are asked to evacuate your home. Search for local shelters and rescue groups on Petfinder's Shelter Center.
  • Local government animal control or service agencies can provide guidance on how to protect your pets in an emergency.

Animal SheltersFind out what your community's plans and resources are for protecting pets in an emergency. The following are considered key resources for planning how to ensure your pets' safety before an emergency:

  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
    AMVA offers a variety of resources to assist veterinarians, animal owners, and others interested in the well-being of animals to prepare for animal safety in the event of a disaster.
  • RedRover
    Through its volunteer-driven RedRover Responders (formerly the Emergency Animal Rescue Service or EARS), RedRover shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and other crises, such as criminal seizures and hoarding cases, in the United States and Canada. If you need sheltering assistance, please call RedRover at (800) 440-3277. Visit RedRover at http://redrover.org.
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
    FEMA is the federal agency that leads the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident.
  • Pet Travel and Lodging Resources
    Most emergency shelters do not take pets. Before an emergency, plan where you will take your family and pets if you are ever asked to evacuate your home. There are a number of organizations that offer advice and resources for traveling with pets, including searchable lists of lodging establishments that accept pets.
  • San Bernardino County
    If you are a pet owner, you need to make sure that you have included your pets in your emergency preparations. Of course, different disasters will require different responses, but you may have to evacuate your home. See Disaster Preparedness for Your Pets (PDF) to learn more about how to protect your pets.


See also:

Disclaimer: Links to other federal and nonfederal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.

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