Evacuating Pets and People: Time, Decisions, and Resources

Abstract

Abstract Increasingly, research focuses on challenges associated with people threatened by disasters but who refuse evacuation without their pets. Less attention is paid to decision making processes and costs of evacuating or sheltering-in-place with pets. Pet owners consider whether or not to evacuate, but—importantly—they also consider the financial costs of staying at pet-friendly shelters, securing necessary supplies for safe pet evacuation, and the impact of pet preparation on evacuation timing (temporal costs). Decision making is compounded by the risks they face, the preparations necessary, and their perceived impact on their animals. Those without pets in their household can be impacted by those with pets, as people often make evacuation decisions in groups. We detail the influence these factors have on evacuation decision making and close with a discussion of the implications for disaster planning.