ASPCA Disaster Relief Efforts

When disaster strikes—like hurricanes, wildfires, tornados or other emergency situations—animal shelters and family pets are among a vulnerable population. During these crises, animal shelters are often inundated with displaced animals and impacted communities may need assistance with animal evacuation and search-and-rescue efforts.
The ASPCA National Field Response team (NFR) stands ready to assist in these types of situations, and monitor storms and other disasters to best determine where we are most needed and how we can best help communities in harm’s way.

The NFR team and the ASPCA Relocation teams are often requested to deploy to multiple disaster response sites at once, requiring teams of responders to spread throughout impacted areas across the nation. These teams, alongside volunteer responders, collaborate with disaster response groups, local animal welfare organizations and emergency management services to ensure that communities with animals impacted by disaster get critical assistance.
During these times, our teams help with several areas:

• Helping to evacuate and transport animals from shelters anticipating impact from a storm or natural disaster.
• Assisting with local search-and-rescue efforts to help find displaced pets in need, including providing resources like food to animals who will remain sheltered-in-place.
• Establishing emergency sheltering when needed and providing ongoing daily care for homeless animals and/or displaced pets.

How You Can Get Involved in Disaster Relief

Many of the people on these teams are committed and qualified volunteers who offer support in a variety of roles. Learn more about becoming an ASPCA National Field Response volunteer!

Prepare Your Pet for Emergency Situations

It’s best to always remain prepared in case you need to evacuate with your pet during an emergency. See vital information on disaster preparedness and download our checklist to ensure you have everything you need should disaster strike.