National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day Date in the current year: May 8, 2025

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense around the world due to climate change. Tornadoes are occurring in regions where they were once rare, hurricanes are making landfall more frequently, monsoons are turning into floods, and earthquakes are becoming more powerful.

These events affect animals as profoundly as they do humans. For example, when Hurricane Katrina struck the United States in 2005, an estimated 600,000 animals - including dogs, cats and birds - lost their lives. As animal caregivers, people have a responsibility to reduce the impact of these disasters on the animals in our care by understanding and addressing the risks we all face.

People living in high-risk areas usually have at least a basic understanding of how to prepare for emergencies, but new pet owners sometimes forget to include their animal companions in their emergency preparedness plans. Your pets are an important part of your family, and it is important to keep them safe and healthy in the event of a disaster. Here are some tips you may find helpful.

• Make sure your pet is microchipped and has a waterproof, current tag with your contact information attached to its collar.
• Keep important pet documents (adoption papers, vaccination records, pet passport, etc.) in a waterproof bag next to other important documents you will grab in an emergency.
• Take a photo with your pet and place it in the same or a separate waterproof bag: it may come in handy when searching for your pet if you become separated.
• Stock up on food, treats, bottled water, medications, litter, bedding, cleaning supplies and other necessities for each pet for at least 10 days.
• If you plan to shelter in place, identify the safest area of your home to keep your pets and place your emergency supplies there beforehand.
• If you plan to evacuate, remember to include your pets when practicing escape routes and make sure their supplies, documents, harnesses/leashes, and carriers are ready for evacuation.

And one more thing to mention. No matter how much you care about your pets, human safety must always come first in an emergency. You should never endanger yourself or others in an attempt to rescue an animal. That is why emergency preparedness is so important - being well prepared increases the likelihood that you will be able to evacuate safely without leaving your pets behind.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day to educate pet owners about disaster preparedness and to help them include their pets in their emergency plans. It is not the only observance that focuses on pet safety. There is also National Pet Fire Safety Day, created by the American Kennel Club and celebrated on July 15. It focuses on fire safety, but many of the same principles can be applied to disaster preparedness.