112 / Conclusion
many natural hazards differ by season. Pet supply stores could offer
lists of what items to stock up on. Along another line, insurance
companies could offer a modest discount to homeowners who have
disaster plans in place for their animals. Verifying the plans could
involve a checklist of requirements such as documentation of ani-
mals’ microchip or tattoo information, the telephone numbers of
out-of-area emergency contacts, and possession of suffi cient carri-
ers and leashes.
The PETS Act aims to ensure that a Katrina-like situation will not
occur again. The responses to hurricanes Gustav and Ike showed dra-
matic improvement. But even with legislation, the burden of respon-
sibility remains where it should be: with the guardians (or owners)
of the animals. It will take a combination of information, education,
and incentives to prompt people to accept that responsibility.
Animals Raised for Food
Throughout the book, I emphasize reducing animals’ vulnerabil-
ity to disasters by reducing the numbers of animals we use in vari-
ous contexts. Intensive agriculture, or the system known as “factory
farming,” is an obvious place to start. When disasters strike agri-
cultural facilities of any kind, three problems arise: the possibility
that animals will have to be evacuated, waste pollution, and carcass
disposal. Because of the tremendous number of animals housed in
factory farms, or CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations),
these issues can quickly get out of control. Besides having a horrifi c
impact on animals, disasters affect regional public health by pollut-
ing air and water. Eliminating factory farming altogether would be
ideal. As I discuss in Chapter 2, sustainable farming practices would
make animals and people less vulnerable, in normal times as well as
in disasters. And although a move to sustainability will not address
the numerous thorny animal rights issues related to our use of ani-
mals, it will improve the welfare of animals in disasters. It does not
entail radical or extremist views; it is an idea whose time has come.
I argue that sustainable agriculture needs consumers willing
to purchase its products. I suggest that a labeling system be imple-