Plan for emergency too

More than small talk

- Nameeta Nadkarni

Responsible pet ownership means preparing for the unlikely.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

Animals are frequently abandoned in crises, highlighting why emergency plans should always include them

Images circulating this week show dogs tied to poles and kittens left in cardboard boxes as families flee conflict zones. In moments of panic, logistics take over. Somewhere in that chaos, pets are often left behind.

During wars, natural disasters and evacuations, animals are the casualties of human crises. Shelters fill, stray populations rise, and rescue organisations scramble to house animals whose families left without them. Most of the time this does not happen because people do not love their pets. It happens because they never planned for such a situation.

Modern pet ownership often assumes stability. Homes are permanent, routines are predictable, and travel is planned months in advance. But life rarely unfolds that neatly. Job transfers happen abruptly. Medical emergencies require sudden travel. Political situations change. When pets are not part of emergency planning, they quickly become the hardest logistical problem to solve. Responsible pet ownership means preparing for the unlikely.