ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the intrinsic link between humans and animals, and how the actions and inactions of humans can compromise the welfare of animals within the context of disasters. Disasters are largely created by human choices, such as continuing to develop land at risk from natural hazards or ignoring the impacts of climate change. These choices have a profound impact on animal welfare, so this chapter is dedicated to highlighting the vulnerability of animals to floods, earthquakes, droughts, fires, technological failure and other hazards. The choice for humans to expose animals to natural and technological hazards comes with a moral and sometimes legal duty to prevent disaster related negative animal welfare outcomes. However, the driver for improving the protection of animals from disaster is often based in human-centric benefits such as the protection of livelihoods and preventing guardians of animals defying authorities to put themselves in harm’s way to protect their animals. This chapter explores this complex human–animal relationship, how it influences public and political behaviour across the phases of disaster management and provides advice to advocates for animal welfare on how to animal-inclusive disaster resilient communities.
