Disasters and conflicts are becoming increasingly frequent across the world. In such a context, safeguarding both people and animals requires strategic approaches that also take into account the human-animal bond.

Humane World for Animals, previously known as Humane Society International, is working to make its mission of generating lasting change for animals around the world even clearer to the public, its supporters and donors.

You may know us for our work protecting farmed animals and those used in testing and research, for our campaigns against fur farming, and for our global wildlife protection activities. However, we also have a global animal rescue team that responds to disasters and provides urgent assistance to affected animals.

Every year, we save, transfer and rehabilitate thousands of animals. We provide veterinary care, supply food, search for animals inside abandoned buildings and, whenever possible, reunite them with their owners. We have done this following the earthquake in Turkey, the wildfires in Australia, the volcanic eruptions in Guatemala, the hurricanes in the United States, and numerous other emergency situations around the world over the course of several decades.

Beyond these rescue operations, we train local responders on how to address animals' needs during disasters and how to ensure that animals are included in community preparedness and emergency management plans. We know that when the safety and well-being of animals are not considered in advance, people may choose to remain in dangerous situations or be forced to leave their animals behind during evacuation procedures. Our goal is to ensure that people and their animals stay together.

Pets — whether they live on farms or in our homes — are extremely vulnerable during crises. They depend on their human companions for survival and often find themselves without food, water or shelter, injuring themselves and risking death. One of the most harrowing situations is forced separation — when people are compelled to part from their animals. When disaster strikes, some people make the painful decision not to leave in order to stay and protect their animals, while others are forced to abandon them.

A 2024 article in Anthrozoos on forced separation between people and their companion animals, authored by Jasmine Montgomery, a PhD candidate at James Cook University in Australia, examined 27 years of research on the human-animal bond in crisis situations — including disasters and cases of domestic violence — across six countries.

Drawing on an analysis of more than 40 previous studies, Montgomery demonstrated that the loss of a companion animal during a disaster leads to increased anxiety and acute stress, contributing to the onset of short- and long-term mental health conditions including depression; that forced separation can cause intense grief, guilt and trauma, as well as a decline in psychosocial functioning; and that the need to find pet-friendly accommodation to avoid separation can heighten psychological stress for both people and their animals.

Without doubt, these findings are consistent with our firsthand experience as rescuers of animals in need during disasters. The special bond we share with our non-human companions is profoundly meaningful. In crisis situations, animals offer comfort and a sense of stability to those who have suffered greatly.

Although Montgomery's study focuses primarily on dogs and cats, many of us have also witnessed the effects of disasters on wildlife, farmed and working animals, along with all the consequences this has for the human beings who live or interact with them. For instance, farmers around the world experience psychological distress following the loss of their animals, in addition to suffering significant financial damage. In rural communities, the loss of farmed and working animals has far-reaching consequences. Parting with them is therefore not an appealing option. Indeed, when the disaster response team of Humane World for Animals India was deployed to the river islands of the Dhubri and Barpeta districts during the 2024 floods, it quickly realised that residents' priority was neither their homes nor their belongings — it was their animals.

During the recent floods in central Europe, the Polish government advised people to bring their animals with them during evacuations. However, firefighters — responsible for the majority of evacuations — stated that their vehicles were not equipped for the transport of animals. Similarly, during the 2021 floods in Belgium and Germany, which claimed hundreds of lives, animal protection organisations were not permitted to enter the flooded areas because they were not included in the emergency protocols.

Following the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in the EU, it became apparent that different member states were applying rules on animal entry and quarantine inconsistently, increasing stress and hardship for people travelling with their animals. For this reason, in 2024, Humane World for Animals Europe commissioned the consultancy firm Irma (Integrated Risk Management Associates) to conduct a study on the inclusion of animals in European disaster legislation.

The study concluded that, with the exception of some legislative progress in Italy and a few references within broader EU emergency management policies, animals are largely overlooked. A lack of attention to animals and their needs is also evident in current humanitarian assistance measures.

With regard to farmed animals, the approach is strongly anthropocentric and attention is focused primarily on their owners. Animals are not protected except in relation to the economic value they hold for their owners.

There is also scant attention to wildlife protection, except in connection with disease control and zoonoses. Measures aimed at saving ownerless animals following events such as floods or wildfires are rare and are usually adopted on an ad hoc basis.

A 2023 report by Eurogroup for Animals highlighted the lack of inclusion of animals in disaster management protocols, resulting in fragmented and uncoordinated assistance. The report emphasises that the legal recognition of animals in European disaster legislation is crucial to ensuring their protection and to integrating animal welfare personnel into disaster response mechanisms.

The war in Ukraine has caused immense suffering, injuries and casualties among both humans and other animals. Since the conflict began in 2022, Humane World for Animals has been active in Ukraine and other European countries to help animals and support their human companions, thanks to the generous backing of our donors. In collaboration with the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and the Federation of Companion Animal Veterinary Associations, we launched the Vets for Ukrainian Pets programme, which enabled Ukrainian refugees in 38 European countries to claim reimbursement for veterinary expenses.

We supported 22 non-governmental organisations at key border crossing points in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova, organised the transport of pet food into Ukraine, and worked with airline and bus companies to allow animals to travel alongside Ukrainian refugees. Our discussions with IATA (International Air Transport Association) led to its July 2022 recommendation calling on airlines to facilitate the safe transport of animals during crises.

In Ukraine, we collaborated with animal shelters, restocked wildlife and farmed animal recovery centres with tonnes of hay and oats to get through the winter, and worked with a mobile veterinary clinic that rescues injured animals along the roads, provides them with appropriate veterinary care, and — while they recover — endeavours to find them a new home.

Great news! 🎉 Thanks to a program called Vets for Ukrainian Pets, launched by HSI & partners, pets of Ukrainian refugees will now be able to access free veterinary treatment in 38 European countries! 💙💛 https://t.co/fF02I8bPtu

After a long journey from Ukraine to Brussels, one of those animals — a little dog named Mishka — arrived at my home. He seems to be enjoying life here. That is what matters. Whether it is a decisive intervention in the life of a single animal, or a landmark policy development capable of benefiting thousands of animals in crisis, it is essential — now and in the future — to respect the power of the human-animal bond, and to take actions that honour that bond in the best way possible.