36 / Chapter 1
among households without children. Several factors make guard-
ians of animals less likely to evacuate. First, the task of fi nding
accommodations can be daunting. In most disasters, 60 to 80 per-
cent of evacuees stay with friends or family.^28 For many reasons,
friends and family will not or cannot accommodate companion ani-
mals. Evacuees who cannot stay with friends or family must be
extremely resourceful. For health and safety reasons, companion
animals (except service animals) are not allowed in Red Cross shel-
ters. In some situations, responders establish “pet-friendly” shel-
ters, in which accommodations for people and animals are in close
proximity. A fairgrounds might house people in exhibition build-
ings, for example, while the barns are turned into shelters for com-
panion animals (or livestock). In pet-friendly shelters, responders
and volunteers provide primary care for the animals, but guardians
can visit. After Katrina, for example, the John M. Parker Coliseum
at Louisiana State University became a shelter for the animals of
residents who evacuated to Baton Rouge.^29 There is no evidence,
however, that the availability of pet-friendly shelters improves evac-
uation rates. In addition, some have argued that the arrangement
may also make guardians dependent on others for the care of their
animals.^30
Researchers have found that households with animals have sig-
nifi cantly greater diffi culty fi nding accommodations than do those
without animals. In some disasters, evacuees have stayed in their
cars or at campgrounds with their animals. Previous research sug-
gests that, in prolonged evacuations, the lack of pet-friendly accom-
modations “forces a signifi cant lifestyle change on some households
and could in some cases even lead to temporary homelessness.”^31
Many guardians have no choice but to surrender their animals to
shelters. During the year following Katrina, the Humane Society
of Louisiana noted a 30 to 50 percent increase in intakes.^32 People
who could not fi nd pet friendly housing found themselves unable
to provide suitable homes for their dogs and cats. In short, the
issue of accommodations complicates the constructions of villain
and victim. The guardian who does the right thing by evacuating