What to Do If You Have to Leave a Pet Behind in an Evacuation

If you are told to leave your home and you have a pet, the first answer is simple: take your pet with you. Official guidance from councils across the UK is consistent on this. Lincolnshire County Council's emergency advice says plainly to take your pets with you¹, and Slough Borough Council puts it more strongly: "If you must evacuate in the event of a disaster the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too"². Leaving an animal behind, even in a room you have made comfortable, is likely to result in their being injured, lost or worse².

The good news is that most evacuation centres will let you bring your pets³. You should take their food, and put cats and small animals in a pet carrier or secure box³. But not every shelter can take every animal, facilities are basic, and the plan only works if you have thought about it before the knock at the door.

This page sets out what to do now, what to pack, how to arrange a safe place in advance, and what to do if you are not at home when the evacuation happens.

Take your pet with you if you possibly can

The default in every piece of official guidance is evacuation together. When a flood warning leads to an evacuation, the multi-agency partners will do their best to evacuate you and your family and any pets that you own, though this may be done in several journeys, with those most at risk assisted first⁸. In practice that means you may be asked to wait, or to make more than one trip, so have your pet's kit ready to move quickly.

What you take depends on the animal. Scottish Borders Council advises that pets which cannot be left alone for a sustained period should travel with some food, a basket or bed, and leads⁹. Essex Prepared says to take pets with suitable carriers, leads and food supplies¹⁰, and Nottinghamshire County Council's evacuation advice is to get your pets together with leads, cages and the like¹¹. Surrey County Council's household template asks you to consider whether you need to take your pets with you at all, which is the right question for a short, controlled evacuation where you will be back the same day¹².

Before you leave, if it is safe to do so, turn off electricity, gas and water supplies, and make arrangements for your pets as part of the same routine¹³. Tell family and friends where you are going¹⁴. Take your pets with you, with leads, cages, carriers and food supplies, so they are not left behind⁵.

Many evacuation centres will take pets, but check first

Most evacuation centres will let you bring your pets³. Natural Resources Wales says the same for Wales: most evacuation centres will let you bring your pets, so take pet food and put cats and small animals in a pet carrier or secure box¹⁵. At rest centres you will be advised what to do with them on arrival¹⁶. Free food and bedding is provided for people, and staff are trained to give support and advice¹⁷.

There are limits. The London Resilience Partnership warns that if you were evacuated from your home, some emergency shelters may only be able to take assistance animals⁴. Lancashire Prepared advises planning where your pet can stay, as there will only be basic facilities at the rest centre¹⁸. Westminster City Council's household guidance goes further and advises that you should have a plan for where pets can stay if you are evacuated, rather than bringing them to an evacuation centre¹⁹. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared puts it simply: not all shelters are suitable for pets, so consider where you might take them in an emergency⁵.

The practical answer is to ring your council before an emergency and ask whether pets are allowed at evacuation centres in your area¹⁷. If you are told to go to a rest centre and your pet cannot come inside, you may be able to leave a dog in the car with the windows partly open, as Cumbria's guidance for its reception centre allows, but never fully close the windows²⁰. That is a short-term measure only, not a plan for a night.

If you are away from home: a neighbour who can get your pet out

The hardest case is being out when the evacuation happens. The answer is a neighbour buddy: someone who knows your pet, can get into your home, and knows where the lead or carrier is kept. Birmingham City Council advises agreeing on a plan with a trusted neighbour²¹. Medway Council suggests that if you have a neighbour you trust with a house key, you talk to them about rescuing your pets if you are out of the house during an emergency, and keep a contact number for them²². Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared recommends a neighbour buddy, such as family, friends or a neighbour, who might be able to take care of your pet in an emergency⁵.

Family outside the household matter too. Medway advises contacting family or friends you do not live with to see if you could stay with them in an emergency, or if they could look after your pets if you were unable to²². Westminster's guidance on emergency friends describes the same idea: provide each other with a place to stay if you have been evacuated from your home or if it has been affected by a flood, fire or utility failure¹⁹.

Make the arrangement concrete:

• Introduce them to the animal before anything happens, so the pet is not handled by a stranger.
• Show them where the kit is: the lead or carrier for every animal should be kept as close to the pet's emergency bag as possible²².
• Leave a key and a number, and agree what they should do if they cannot reach you.
• Tell them about medication and any handling quirks.

If a neighbour needs further help, such as transport, medication, temporary accommodation or medical attention, alert the local council²³.

Plan a safe place for your pet before you need it

The single most useful thing you can do is decide, in advance, where your pet will go. Birmingham's advice is to plan so your pets have a safe place to stay²¹. Buckinghamshire's grab bag guidance is blunt: many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside, so know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen²⁴.

Your options, in order of preference:

1. With you, at a centre that accepts pets³.
2. With family or friends outside the affected area²².
3. With a neighbour buddy who can take the animal in⁵.
4. At home, only as a last resort, with food, water and a note in the window⁶.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, advising households at risk of flooding, says to ensure pets are microchipped and to consider where you could send them if you need to evacuate²⁵. Microchipping matters because a frightened animal that slips a lead can be reunited if it is chipped and the details are up to date. The same service suggests thinking through whether it is safe for your pet to go outside, how to keep them indoors, where they would go if you evacuate, whether they have medication they need away from the property, and how to reduce stress or anxiety²⁶.

Keep a separate emergency bag for pets in case you need to be evacuated¹³. Medway's list is a good model: a lead or carrier for every animal, any medications, pet food, vaccination certificates, litter, paper towelling or bedding, and toys²². Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared adds an extra collar or harness, a copy of your pet's ID and registration documents, a suitable carrier for all pets, litter bags, and toys, treats and bedding⁵.

If your pet has to stay behind

Sometimes there is no choice. The official guidance for that case is specific: if you must leave pets, place them upstairs if possible, otherwise somewhere dry, with food and water⁶. Do not shut them in a room with no ventilation, and do not leave them somewhere that could flood.

Leave a note in the window to inform the emergency services that there is an animal inside⁷. That note is what turns a locked house into a rescue. Put it where it can be seen from the street, and say how many animals there are and where in the house they are.

In a chemical incident the advice changes. Wandsworth Council says pets should be kept under cover, but do not go looking for your cat or dog if it is out when the emergency is announced; they can be cared for when the emergency is over²⁷. Going outside to find an animal in a toxic fume incident puts you in the same danger.

If you are away and a pet is at home alone, the neighbour buddy is your route in.

Livestock and larger animals

Livestock need a plan of their own, because they cannot be moved at short notice and some reception centres will not accommodate them at all²⁰. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your animals is to evacuate them too², so the arrangements have to be made before the water rises.

• Identify somewhere to go now, and check that it will take the number and type of animals you keep.
• Ask your council about further help and support if you need transport or temporary accommodation²³.
• Microchip and identify what you can, as advised for pets at risk of flooding²⁵.

For more on moving larger animals, see Horses and Livestock in Floods and Snow and the Horse Evacuation Kit Checklist.

Where to get help and how to prepare

Your council is the first point of contact: it can tell you whether pets are allowed at evacuation centres¹⁷ and can be alerted if a neighbour needs further help²³. The Environment Agency's personal flood plan asks you to record what you would do with your pets, which is a good prompt to write the plan down²⁸.

To build the plan into your household preparations, see Including Your Pets in a Household Emergency Plan and Keeping Pets Safe Before, During and After a Flood. For the kit itself, the Pet First Aid Kits page and How Much Pet Food and Water to Store for an Emergency cover what to keep in. If you are unsure whether a rest centre will take your animal, Can I Take My Dog or Cat to an Emergency Rest Centre? answers that directly.