Don't forget them

When disasters hit, animals experience the same terrible effects as people: injury, starvation, thirst, displacement, illness and stress

We move fast to protect animals affected by earthquakes, floods, typhoons and other disasters.

We provide food, water, medical care, and other emergency assistance to animals in need. We evacuate animals from danger, and reunite animals and owners that have been separated.

Staff from our global response network can reach disaster scenes within days.

Helping animals helps people

Woman and child in India with their farm animals

When animals die during disasters, it has a devastating impact on the people who rely on them for companionship and economic status

More than 1 billion of the world’s poorest people depend on animals for food, transport and livelihoods.

Disaster risk reduction

As well as responding to disasters, we work year-round to help countries prepare and reduce the impact on animals and their owners.

Through our work, we encourage governments, international bodies, and local and national partners to include animals in their plans, policies and practice. We:

lobby and publicly campaign for animal-inclusive disaster risk reduction strategies at the international and national level
conduct training activities with local government officials
train partner organisations on animal rescue and disaster management through workshops and PrepVet, an online course we developed
help animal owners in disaster prone areas learn how to care for their animals

Governments: don’t forget them

Governments must take urgent steps to protect both people and animals by including animals in their disaster plans

The message is clear: don’t forget animals in global discussions on disaster risk reduction, disaster plans and investments

Governments and the global disaster response community know that protecting animals helps people rebuild their lives following a disaster.

Yet animals are rarely included in national disaster plans and investments, and their needs are rarely factored into relief operations.

No-one knows when disaster will strike. By donating today, we can move fast to protect animals affected by disasters – reducing suffering and helping governments and communities to recover and rebuild.

One of the inflatable animals we are sending to the UN

These ambassadors, from six different countries (India, Brazil, Thailand, USA, Kenya and Costa Rica), represent the millions of animals in need of protection against disasters.

They’ll return to their home countries after the event to continue spreading their important message and continue urging governments to include animals in their disaster plans.

Disasters injure and kill millions of animals each year. For 55 years, we’ve been deploying to disaster zones to assist animals – and reminding governments to take responsibility for them too

Don't forget them

When disasters hit, animals experience the same terrible effects as people: injury, starvation, thirst, displacement, illness and stress

Helping animals helps people

When animals die during disasters, it has a devastating impact on the people who rely on them for companionship and economic status

Disaster risk reduction

Governments: don’t forget them

Governments must take urgent steps to protect both people and animals by including animals in their disaster plans

Read more

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Disasters injure and kill millions of animals each year. For 55 years, we’ve been deploying to disaster zones to assist animals – and reminding governments to take responsibility for them too

Don't forget them

When disasters hit, animals experience the same terrible effects as people: injury, starvation, thirst, displacement, illness and stress

Helping animals helps people

When animals die during disasters, it has a devastating impact on the people who rely on them for companionship and economic status

Disaster risk reduction

Governments: don’t forget them

Governments must take urgent steps to protect both people and animals by including animals in their disaster plans

Read more

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