FEMA Pet Friendly Shelter List and American Red Cross Policy

What “FEMA Pet Shelter” Actually Means

The FEMA pet shelter concept is more nuanced than the search term implies. FEMA does not operate a national network of pet shelters. The PETS Act of 2006 amended the Stafford Act to require state and local emergency management plans to include household pets and service animals — but the law requires plans, not shelters. FEMA reimburses state and local jurisdictions for pet-evacuation and pet-sheltering costs incurred during a declared disaster; FEMA does not directly run the shelters in most cases.

Where pet shelters exist during declared disasters, they are typically operated by state or local emergency management in partnership with animal welfare organizations: state animal control agencies, county humane societies, the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Disaster Animal Response Team (DART), or RedRover. These shelters are often co-located near American Red Cross general-population shelters but operated separately.

The practical implication for pet owners: do not assume a FEMA-funded pet shelter exists in your immediate area. Verify before the event through your state emergency management agency, your local animal control, and your county or city emergency management. The realities of co-location and capacity are explained below. The broader policy framework is detailed in our PETS Act 2006 and Stafford Act pet disaster policy guide.

American Red Cross Policy on Pets

The American Red Cross does not shelter pets at most general-population shelters. This is longstanding ARC policy and reflects a combination of public health considerations (allergies, sanitation), liability, and operational complexity. Service animals — as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act — are admitted with their handlers in any ARC general shelter, but emotional support animals (ESAs), comfort animals, and household pets generally are not.

The ARC partners with local animal welfare organizations to support co-located pet shelters at some general-shelter sites. The pet shelter is a separate space, often a separate building or tent, operated by a partner organization with its own intake protocol, registration, and care staff. The ARC may direct pet-owning evacuees to the co-located pet shelter or to alternate options.

The distinction between service animals and ESAs matters operationally. ADA service dogs trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities have public access rights, including in ARC general shelters. ESAs do not have ADA public access; their housing rights under the Fair Housing Act do not extend to general-population shelters. The service-dog versus ESA distinction is the single most common shelter-intake confusion. See our service dog and ESA disaster evacuation rights guide for the legal framework.

The PETS Act Framework in Operational Terms

The PETS Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-308) was a direct response to lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, where many pet owners refused to evacuate without their pets and many people and pets died as a result. The Act amended the Stafford Act to require state and local emergency management plans to include the needs of household pets and service animals during major disasters.

What the Act requires: state and local jurisdictions seeking FEMA disaster reimbursement must have plans addressing pet evacuation, sheltering, and reunification. What the Act does not require: that pet shelters exist at every general shelter, that pet evacuation be free, or that every jurisdiction implement the Act with the same robustness.

State-by-state implementation varies widely. Some states — Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana — have invested heavily in pet-friendly emergency planning following major hurricane events. Other states have minimal infrastructure. Coastal states and frequently-disaster-affected states generally implement more robustly; interior states with infrequent major disasters often have less developed plans.

For pet owners, the practical question is not “what does the PETS Act say” but “what has my specific state and county actually built.” Find out in calm weather. Call your county or city emergency management office. Ask what pet-shelter or pet-evacuation infrastructure exists. The answer ranges from robust to nonexistent.

How to Find Pet Shelter Options the Day Of

The single most reliable real-time source for pet-shelter information during a declared disaster is your state emergency management agency’s website or hotline. The agency coordinates with local animal control, humane societies, and ARC partners to publish open shelters. The FEMA Mobile App reflects this state-level reporting in many cases.

Local animal control or your county animal services agency is the second most reliable source. They often know about co-located pet shelters before the state aggregator publishes them. Some counties operate their own emergency pet shelters; others coordinate with regional humane society networks.

Petfinder Foundation occasionally publishes emergency boarding directories during major events, partnering with shelters and rescue groups in affected regions. HSUS DART and RedRover responder networks deploy during major disasters and may operate or support temporary pet shelters. Regional rescue networks may also coordinate emergency foster placement when shelter capacity is overwhelmed.

If formal pet shelter options are unavailable, the buddy-system caretaker network is the next layer. The pet disaster mutual aid and buddy system framework is built specifically for households who need to evacuate but cannot bring pets to formal shelters.

HSUS DART and RedRover Responder Networks

The Humane Society of the United States Disaster Animal Response Team (HSUS DART) is a deployable network of trained volunteers who set up and operate emergency animal shelters in disaster zones. DART is activated at the request of state emergency management or local animal welfare partners. DART operations focus on intake, basic veterinary care, identification, and reunification.

RedRover (formerly United Animal Nations) operates a similar deployable model. RedRover Responders are trained volunteers who staff emergency animal shelters during disasters. RedRover also operates a Relief Grants program that helps pet owners with disaster-related veterinary costs in some cases.

The ASPCA Field Investigations and Response (FIR) team deploys to disaster zones and partners with local emergency management to evacuate and shelter at-risk animals. ASPCA also supports community-based recovery efforts post-event.

These organizations do not replace local infrastructure; they augment it. When a major disaster overwhelms local capacity, the responder networks fill gaps. For pet owners, the practical implication is that the formal pet shelter you arrive at during a major declared disaster is more likely to be operated by a deployed responder team than by ongoing local infrastructure.

Co-Location: What It Actually Looks Like

A co-located pet shelter is a pet shelter geographically near or attached to a general-population human shelter, allowing displaced families to remain near their pets even when pets are not housed in the same building. Co-location is the preferred model under modern pet-inclusive emergency planning because it reduces the rate at which pet owners refuse to evacuate or leave shelters early.

The model has tradeoffs. Pet owners typically have specific visitation windows for daily pet care rather than continuous access. Pet shelters often have intake requirements — proof of rabies vaccination, an identification tag, sometimes a microchip — that not every evacuee has documentation for. Capacity is finite, and during major events, pet shelters fill before general shelters do.

If co-location is unavailable, some jurisdictions operate boarding-relationship networks — local boarding kennels and veterinary practices that accept emergency boarding under reimbursement arrangements with the county or state. These are not advertised the way co-located shelters are; you find them by calling local animal control or your veterinarian during the declared event.

Intake Documentation: What Pet Shelters Will Ask For

Pet shelter intake typically requires: proof of identification (microchip ID or visible tag with current contact information), proof of current rabies vaccination, photographs of you with your pet (proof of ownership), and a brief intake form with the pet’s medical needs and behavioral notes.

Most of this should already be in your pet emergency binder for vaccination, medication, and microchip records. Bring the physical binder to intake. Hand over copies as requested; keep the originals.

If you have unusual circumstances — a pet on multiple medications, a pet with a known bite history, an exotic species — call ahead to the shelter if possible. Some pet shelters cannot accommodate certain species (most cannot take large reptiles or large birds), and knowing this in advance lets you plan an alternate option without driving to a shelter that will turn you away.

Bring poison-control contact information for any post-intake exposure questions: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Both charge consultation fees but provide species-specific guidance that a temporary pet shelter veterinarian may need for unusual exposure scenarios common in post-disaster environments — contaminated water, debris ingestion, unfamiliar plants.

What Pet Shelters Cannot Do

Pet shelters during a declared disaster are emergency, time-limited operations. They are not boarding kennels and not full-service veterinary facilities. Most cannot handle complex medical care, do not have specialty equipment (oxygen for end-stage cardiac pets, dialysis for kidney pets), and cannot accommodate every species.

For medical-needs pets, the pet shelter is rarely the right destination. Pet-friendly hotels combined with continued primary-vet contact (or temporary care at a 24-hour emergency vet in the destination region) is usually a better path. The medical pet evacuation for insulin, oxygen, and mobility needs guide details the alternatives.

For exotic pets, pet shelters often refuse intake or have severely limited capacity. The exotic pet evacuation protocol for reptile, bird, and small mammal guide walks through species-specific options including direct outreach to exotic-pet rescues and certified avian veterinarians.

Pet shelters also typically cannot accommodate pets with severe behavioral issues. A reactive dog with a bite history may need an alternate plan. A severely fearful cat may struggle in a crowded co-located shelter. Honest assessment of your pet’s behavior matters; the post-event reality of a behavioral incident in a crowded shelter is bad for everyone.

Building Your Pre-Event Shelter Map

In calm weather, build a list of potential pet shelter options for your home region. Start with the state emergency management agency’s pet shelter guidance. Add the county or city emergency management plan. Add the nearest county humane society and animal control’s emergency phone line. Add your local boarding kennels with disaster experience.

Add the same list for your evacuation destination region. If you plan to evacuate to Atlanta from Florida, build the Atlanta-region pet shelter list. The destination region is where you may actually need shelter, not the home region.

Print the list. File it in the binder. Update annually. Phone numbers change, organizations restructure, and a list from three years ago may not reflect the current network. The list should not be your first source during an event — that is the live state agency feed — but it serves as a calibration baseline for what to expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does FEMA run pet shelters during disasters?

Not directly in most cases. FEMA reimburses state and local jurisdictions for pet shelter costs under the PETS Act framework. The shelters themselves are typically run by state animal services, local animal control, humane societies, or deployed responder networks like HSUS DART and RedRover.

Will the Red Cross take my pet?

At most general-population shelters, no, except for ADA service dogs. The Red Cross partners with local animal welfare organizations to support co-located pet shelters at some sites. Verify availability through state or local emergency management during a declared disaster.

What documents do I need for pet shelter intake?

Microchip ID or visible identification, proof of current rabies vaccination, photos of you with your pet for proof of ownership, and a brief medical and behavioral summary. The full document set lives in your pet emergency binder.

What if no pet shelter is available?

Pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation route are usually a better option anyway. The buddy-system caretaker network — relatives or friends in unaffected areas who can host you and your pet — is the next backup. Pet-friendly chain bookings during a declared disaster are often the most reliable path when formal pet shelter capacity is uncertain.

Are pet shelters free?

Most emergency pet shelters during declared disasters are free or nominal cost, funded under the PETS Act reimbursement framework. Pre-existing boarding kennels or veterinary practices providing emergency boarding may bill at standard rates, sometimes with disaster-period discounts.