The barriers to establishing animal disaster response policies in communities and the effects of not having response networks in place

As climate change exacerbates disasters around the world every year, millions more animals are negatively affected. There is increasing awareness of the importance of the human-animal bond to people's emotional well-being, along with studies on the traumatic effects on those who lose their animals, both companion animals and livestock, because of disasters. Despite this, however, changes in disaster management to include animal disaster response plans are not being reflected in many communities, and barriers to establishing these protocols remain. This paper addresses the ongoing trauma that can result from losing animals during disasters, outlines barriers that prevent widespread adoption of animal disaster response plans, and offers some suggestions and solutions.