Disasters and Animals: Legal Treatment in the United States | 169 to local farms and ranches, but they are also housed at fairgrounds and similar facilities that have barns The need for identification also arises with livestock Brands on livestock and tattoos on horses link owners with animals, and all owners should ensure that their animals have current identification In addition to preparing to shelter in place, individuals and families should locate animal-friendly accommodations outside the immediate area in case emergency managers call for evacuation Know ing where to find pet-friendly motels before the incident occurs, or having friends and family who can house pets, can save lives and prevent separation from pets Further Reading Convery, I., Bailey, K., Mort, M., & Baxter, J 2005 Death in the Wrong Place: Emotional Geographies of the UK 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease Epidemic Journal of Rural Studies 21, 99–109 Heath, S E., Beck, A M., Kass, P H., & Glickman, L T 2001 Risk factors for pet evacuation failure after a slow-onset disaster Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 218, 1905–1910 Heath, S E., Beck, A M., Kass, P H & Glickman, L T 2001 Human and pet related risk factors for household evacuation failure during a natural disaster American Journal of Epidemiology 153:659–665 Heath, S E., Voeks, S K., & Glickman, L T 2001 Epidemiological features of pet evacuation failure in a rapid-onset disaster Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 218, 1898–1904 Irvine, L 2007 Animals in disasters: Responsibility and action Ann Arbor MI: Animals and Society Institute Mead, C 1997 Poor Prospects for Oiled Birds Nature 390, 449–450 Sharp, B 1996 Post Release Survival of Oiled, Cleaned Seabirds in North America Ibis, 138:222–28 Leslie Irvine DISASTERS AND ANIMALS: LEGAL TREATMENT IN THE UNITED STATES In the United States, the law treats nonhuman animals as personal property, making them vulnerable during disasters Governmental policies for evacuation, shelter and rescue during disasters place priority on saving human lives, with a secondary focus on protection of property Since nonhuman animals are property, the welfare of nonhuman animals during hurricanes, floods, and other disasters is less important than the welfare of humans As a result of this status as property rather than as living beings with inherent value, large numbers of nonhuman animals, including companion animals, stray and feral domesticated animals, livestock, and wild animals, are left behind and suffer or die during disasters and their aftermaths The treatment of nonhuman animals hinges upon the value that humans place upon the these animals Household pets, or companion animals and service animals, which have direct bonds with individual humans, are treated differently than livestock and wild animals Livestock, as commodities that provide food and fiber, are generally considered only for their economic and subsistence value to humans, with disaster policies focusing on issues such as the maintenance of the food supply rather than on the preservation of individual animals Disaster policies for wild animals, both those captive in zoos and other manmade facilities, and those in natural habitat, primarily discuss these animals in terms of danger to humans during disasters; these animals will either be kept captive or left