Preparation Makes a Difference to Pets in an Emergency
After the Great Earthquake in Japan, preparation was key to evacuating with pets - including training and socialization.
Thompson, K.,, Every, D., Rainbird, S., Cornell, V., Smith, B., & Trigg, J. (2014). No pet or their person left behind: Increasing the disaster resilience of vulnerable groups through animal attachment, activities and networks Animals , 4 (2), 214-240 : 10.3390/ani4020214
Yamazaki, S. (2015) A survey of companion-animal owners affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures, Japan. Anthrozoos, 28 (2)
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| Photo: Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock |
By Zazie Todd, PhD
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When the magnitude 9 earthquake struck
Japan in 2011, causing a tsunami and subsequent accident at the Fukushima
nuclear plant, over 15,000 people were killed. Many people had to evacuate at
short notice. Did emergency planning make a difference to their pets?
In 2012, pet owners from two of the most badly affected areas, Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures, were asked about whether or not they took their pet and the types of planning they had done beforehand. The survey, by Sakiko Yamazaki (Humane Society International), has important implications for disaster preparedness.
In 2012, pet owners from two of the most badly affected areas, Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures, were asked about whether or not they took their pet and the types of planning they had done beforehand. The survey, by Sakiko Yamazaki (Humane Society International), has important implications for disaster preparedness.
In both Iwate and
Fukushima, the most common thing people had done to prepare for an emergency
was to have extra supplies of pet food. The percentage of people who did this
was about the same amongst those who did and did not evacuate with their pet.
Training and
socialization of pets made a difference. Yamazaki says, “a higher percentage of
those who evacuated with their pets prepared by socialization/obedience
training pets, compared with those who could not, suggesting that this could be
an effective way to prepare regardless of the type of disaster.”
In Iwate, 46% of people
who evacuated with pets had socialized and trained them, compared to 26% of
those who had to leave their pets behind. In Fukushima, the figures are 30% and
8%, respectively.
46% of the
participants had to leave all their pets behind when they evacuated. Only 41%
were able to take all of their pets with them. The situation in Fukushima was
slightly different than Iwate, since people were not encouraged to take pets
with them, and thought they would only be evacuated for a short time.
In Fukushima, other
factors that made a difference were having extra (non-food) supplies for the
pet, having copies of the pet’s photo and vet record, and knowing where they
could board their pet temporarily.
The most common help
needed after the quake was provision of pet food. Not surprisingly, people who had
left their pet behind were more likely to need help in locating their pet. In
Iwate, vet care was also needed; and in Fukushima, other pet supplies were
needed. Help still needed at the time of the survey varied, reflecting the fact
that those in Fukushima were still in temporary accommodation.
These results show
that an everyday thing – the training and socialization of your pet – turned out
to be essential in an emergency. This means disaster preparedness for pets is not
just about emergency supplies, but also about giving your pet the skills to
cope with normal, everyday living.
289 people completed
the survey (140 from Iwate Prefecture and 149 in Fukushima). It is not a random
sample, and people in Iwate were recruited via an organization that gave help
to pet-owners (and hence may have been more likely to seek help). The
questionnaire also relies on people’s memories after the event. Nonetheless the
results are useful since participants were all people who evacuated at the time
of the disaster from areas that were devastated.
Other studies have
highlighted the importance of including pets in emergency planning (Heath and
Linnabary, 2015), and of utilizing pets to help vulnerable people prepare for
disasters (Thompson et al 2014). People will often risk their lives to save
pets in an emergency. Preparing in advance helps ensure your pet can go with
you if you ever have to evacuate. This study is a concrete example of the
difference it can make.
What is the emergency preparedness plan
for your household?
The full paper is available to read (open access).
References
Heath, S.E., & Linnabary, R.D. (2015). Challenges of managing animals in disasters in the US Animals, 5 (2), 173-192 : 10.3390/ani5020173#sthash.7n7gGyyg.dpuf
Thompson, K.,, Every, D., Rainbird, S., Cornell, V., Smith, B., & Trigg, J. (2014). No pet or their person left behind: Increasing the disaster resilience of vulnerable groups through animal attachment, activities and networks Animals , 4 (2), 214-240 : 10.3390/ani4020214
Yamazaki, S. (2015) A survey of companion-animal owners affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures, Japan. Anthrozoos, 28 (2)
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