Reps. Chu and Kim Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Improved Pet Reunification Following Disasters
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) led 39 Members in a bipartisan letter urging the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the challenges associated with reuniting household pets with their owners following federally declared disasters and identify opportunities to improve reunification through better data, standards, and coordination.
When disasters strike with little warning, families can face impossible decisions about how to evacuate safely with their pets. Many pet owners are forced to choose between leaving their pets behind or risking their own safety. These heartbreaking decisions affect not only individuals and their pets, but also emergency responders, state and local officials, and entire communities trying to evacuate in the chaos of a disaster.
This is a nationwide issue, however, there is no consistent national baseline for collecting data on disaster-related animal intake, tracking, or reunification, and there has not been a comprehensive federal analysis of potential solutions. The bipartisan letter asks GAO to examine existing practices and identify gaps and opportunities to improve the systems used to track displaced pets and reunite them with their families.
“When the Eaton Fire tore through my district last January, too many families had too little time to evacuate and faced heartbreaking decisions about the pets they consider part of their family,” said Rep. Chu (CA-28). “In the aftermath, some families were separated from their pets for far too long, while others were never reunited. We owe it to disaster survivors to learn from these experiences. That is why Rep. Kim and I are leading this bipartisan effort to identify what is not working and strengthen our disaster response systems so families can evacuate safely without leaving a beloved pet behind.”
"No family should have to flee a disaster without the pets they love, but that's the heartbreaking choice too many of our neighbors have had to make," said Rep. Kim (CA-40). "Southern California knows the devastation of wildfires all too well, from the Airport Fire in 2024 that burned more than 23,000 acres across Orange and Riverside Counties and forced families to evacuate with little warning, leaving frightened pets stranded and local shelters scrambling to take them in. Our request to GAO will help identify what is working, show where the gaps are, and get more pets home. I am proud to co-lead this commonsense effort with Rep. Chu.”
“Disasters strike with little or no warning, and no family should be forced to make the impossible split-second decision between seeking shelter for themselves and staying behind with their beloved companion,” said Maggie Garrett, Vice President of Federal Affairs for the ASPCA. “When families are separated from their pets during a disaster, reunification is often a lengthy, difficult, and costly process, creating emotional distress and uncertainty for vulnerable animals, pet owners, and the shelters who care for displaced pets. By studying the gaps and challenges facing pet reunification in the aftermath of a disaster, we can improve the process and better assist communities to help reunite pets with their family.”
The letter is co-signed by Representatives Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Donald Davis (NC-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Michael Lawler (NY-17), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).
The letter is endorsed by the ASPCA, Humane World for Animals, Humane World Action Fund, National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs (NASAAEP), National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC), ASAR Training and Response, and Petco Love.
Read the full letter HERE and below.
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The Honorable Orice Williams Brown
Acting Comptroller General of the United States
U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
Dear Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown:
We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) undertake a study to examine and assess the enforcement of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 20061 the challenges associated with reuniting household pets with their owners following federally declared disasters, and to identify opportunities for improving outcomes through better data, standards, and coordination.
During natural disasters, the separation of pets from their families is a persistent and consequential issue. Faced with minimal time and resources, pet owners are forced to choose between leaving their pets behind, risking their own safety, or limited sheltering options with their animals. These are life and death decisions that affect not only individuals and their pets, but also emergency responders, state and local officials, and entire communities trying to evacuate in the chaos of a disaster.
During several recent natural disasters, we have seen the scope and impact of this problem nationwide. Following Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which decimated parts of Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, animal shelters2 and organizations3 supported large numbers of displaced pets and owners. In January 2025, when the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires4 displaced thousands of families across Los Angeles County, many residents had to evacuate without their pets, as frightened animals hid or could not be safely retrieved. During the July 2025 floods in Central Texas5, hundreds of missing pets were reported, and shelter staff worked to identify deceased animals in an effort to provide closure to families. Most recently, in October 2025, evacuees from remote Alaskan villages impacted by Typhoon Halong6 were forced to leave pets behind during emergency airlifts, prompting volunteer-led efforts7 to transport animals to Anchorage and reunite them with their owners.
Practitioners working in disaster animal response consistently report several recurring challenges. Many pets lack proper identification, such as microchips or tags, complicating efforts to match animals with their owners. Communication barriers between shelters, rescuers, emergency management agencies, and the public often delay or prevent reunification. In addition, many jurisdictions lack standardized policies—such as extended hold times for disaster-displaced animals—resulting in animals being rehomed or transferred before owners have a reasonable opportunity to locate them. These gaps contribute to delayed reunifications, increased operational costs, and diminished public trust. Many of these issues could be avoided through consistent animal-inclusive disaster planning and preparedness activities. More broadly, there is no consistently implemented national baseline for disaster animal intake, tracking, and reunification data. Information is collected across jurisdictions and organizations in disparate formats with varying levels of completeness. This limits situational awareness, hinders coordination, and reduces accountability. Despite the frequency of these issues, there has not been a comprehensive analysis of their scope, causes, and potential solutions. Accordingly, we respectfully request that GAO examine the following key issues:
Existing Data Sets and Best Practices
Stakeholders have emphasized the need for improved data collection and analysis to better understand the root causes of pet-owner separation during disasters and the scale of this problem. We ask GAO to examine what data is currently collected by federal, state, local, and nonprofit entities for disaster animal intake, sheltering, and reunification, and how consistent these data are across jurisdictions and incidents. GAO should also assess the measurable impacts of standardized data collection on outcomes such as time-to-reunification, shelter length of stay, cost per animal-day, reunification rates, safety incidents, and public complaints.
Collaboration and Communications Between Stakeholders
Although the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 20068 requires state and local disaster plans to address the needs of individuals with pets and service animals, gaps in implementation remain. Animal response operations vary widely in their integration into emergency management frameworks, including coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and in the interoperability of systems used by government and nonprofit partners. Limited trained personnel, weak coordination amongst staff, and delayed deployments of trained staff or volunteers further hinder response during disaster scenarios. We ask GAO to assess these challenges, determine if effective disaster planning and preparedness activities have been implemented, and identify best practices to improve coordination, communication, and resource utilization.
Disaster Specific Evaluations
GAO’s review should prioritize lessons learned and after-action reports from recent disasters including Hurricane Helene in the Southeastern United States, flooding in Central Texas, the Eaton and Palisades fires in California, and Typhoon Halong in Alaska. Through targeted case studies examining state and local shelter data, emergency management plans, and stakeholder interviews, GAO should identify common challenges, effective practices, and recurring gaps across disaster responses.
Based on its research, we ask GAO to identify actions the federal government could take to improve reunification outcomes, as well as animal-inclusive disaster preparedness, including establishing minimum data and reporting standards, providing technical assistance, and incentivizing implementation through preparedness funding or pilot programs. We also ask for recommendations for addressing gaps between planning and practice to better understand the root causes for separation and ultimately reduce the risk of pets and families becoming separated.
Improving animal-inclusive disaster planning and the reunification of pets and their owners following disasters is not only a matter of animal welfare, but also of public safety, emergency management effectiveness, and community resilience. Clearer standards, better data, and stronger coordination can reduce costs, improve outcomes, and ensure that families are not permanently separated from their pets in times of crisis.
We appreciate your attention to this request. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Rep. Judy Chu’s staff at 202-225-5464. We look forward to receiving your response.
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- Public Law No: 109-308
- WPTV: Humane Society of Treasure Coast overwhelmed with displaced pets since hurricane
- ASPCA: Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Helene
- LA Times: Burned and anxious pets fill Pasadena shelter after Eaton fire
- NPR: After Texas flooding, volunteers help reunite pets with owners
- Alaska Public Media: Dog evacuations continue from Western Alaska villages hit hard by remnants of Typhoon Halong
- Humane Word for Animals: Our Animal Rescue Team arrives in typhoon-stricken Alaska
- Public Law No: 109-308