Pet Ownership and the Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Evacuation Decisions

• Published in: Southeastern geographer Vol. 52; no. 3; pp. 253 - 266
• Main Authors: THOMPSON, COURTNEY N., BROMMER, DAVID M., SHERMAN-MORRIS, KATHLEEN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chapel Hill Journal of the Southeastern Division, Association of American Geographers 22.09.2012; The University of North Carolina Press; University of North Carolina Press
• Subjects: Civilian evacuation; Decision making; Disasters; Emergency management; Emergency preparedness; Evacuation of civilians; Health hazards; Homes; Human-animal relationships; Hurricanes; Meteorology; Natural hazards; PART I: PAPERS; Pet owners; Pets; Polls & surveys; Roadside rest areas; Studies; Surveys; United States; Weather; ZIP codes; United States
• ISSN: 0038-366X; 1549-6929
• DOI: 10.1353/sgo.2012.0025

The authors surveyed a sample of evacuees displaced by Hurricane Gustav about their decision to include or not include household pets in their evacuation plans. Data were collected along two major evacuation routes within the 48-hour window prior to landfall in the southern and coastal regions of Louisiana, south of Interstate 10. Zip code data collected from the surveys showed that respondents most frequently evacuated from the zip code regions of New Orleans, Houma, and Lafayette. Results revealed that the majority of evacuees with pets chose to include them in their evacuation plans, highlighting the significance that household pets play in making timely evacuation decisions. While not significant in every region, evacuation distance was less for people with pets than people who did not have pets in their vehicles.