Editorial guide
Dogs and wildfires: the plan that changes everything
Every summer, the same images return: California, the Mediterranean, Australia, Canada. Wildfires are no longer a seasonal exception, and dogs are doubly vulnerable there: those in homes evacuated in a panic, and those in shelters, which can't be evacuated in the blink of an eye when there are four hundred of them.
What changes everything, response organizations repeat after every fire, is preparation. During the major Los Angeles wildfires, rescue teams spent weeks searching for animals left behind, structure by structure. Most of these situations were avoidable with a plan made in advance.
The six-point plan
- 1
The emergency bag
Prepare a bag dedicated to the dog in advance: water, food for several days, bowl, its usual medication and a small first-aid kit. It must stay accessible, not tucked at the back of a cupboard.
- 2
Up-to-date identification
Check that the dog's microchip is registered with your current contact details in your country's national registry. Add a tag with your phone number. Reliable identification is what makes it possible to return a found dog to you.
- 3
Accessible documents
Keep the vaccination booklet, veterinary records, and a recent photo of you with the dog within reach. That photo proves the dog is yours if it is found far from home.
- 4
The leash and the carrier
A sturdy leash and a suitable carrier must stay within reach, never buried at the back of the garage. During an evacuation, every minute lost hunting for gear matters.
- 5
A trusted person
Designate in advance someone who can come and pick up the dog if the fire arrives while you are away. Give them the key, the location of the bag, and the vet's name.
- 6
Pet-friendly accommodation
Identify now where the dog will be accepted in case of evacuation: family, hotel, shelter. Many emergency shelters refuse animals, which pushes people to stay in fire zones. That information must be ready ahead of time, not searched for during the crisis.
Never leave a dog tied up or locked in during an evacuation. A free dog has a chance; a tied-up dog has none.
And if you're far from the flames, you have a role too: organizations like IFAW, the ASPCA, Four Paws or Best Friends respond to fires and support affected shelters, which need funds, supplies and temporary foster homes to relieve pressure. You'll find them in the atlas, and verified emergency fundraisers appear below whenever a disaster is under way.
No verified emergency fundraiser right now. This section activates with every disaster.