Amid rainy season and the threat of torrential rains, the government is recommending that people evacuate with their pets so as not to hesitate to flee in the event of a major disaster.

However, the recommendation raises concerns at evacuation centers willing to take in pets such as adversely affecting evacuees with animal allergies and caring for the animals. 

Currently, decisions on accepting pets in the centers are left to local governments.

In Kyushu, as torrential rains become more frequent, threatening to unleash flooding and mudslides, a city government established a special facility that pet owners can stay at with their loved ones.

The torrential rains that inundated northern Kyushu in July 2017 left 42 people dead or missing in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures.

At that time, Mamoru Miyamoto, 67, who was living in the Haki area in Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture, decided to evacuate by car.

He had an 8-year-old Labrador Retriever named Jerry but left him at home because he thought he could not bring his pet to the shelter.

“I’ll be back soon,” Miyamoto said.

He untied Jerry from a rope so that the pet could flee if needed.

His chest tightened when he saw through his rearview window Jerry gazing at him.

Two days later, he received a call from a neighbor, “Jerry is waiting.”

When his family members headed home, which was covered in mud and sand, they found Jerry sitting patiently in front of the entrance.

From that day, his family evacuated with Jerry to a public facility. The canine was tied up in the back of the building, with signs asking people not to feed the pet. 

Jerry’s presence provided solace to them as they didn't know when they could return home.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck the Tohoku region in 2011, the government has encouraged people to evacuate with their pets to shelters.

It aims to reduce the number of people who hesitate to evacuate and those who choose to stay in their cars because of their pets, as well as preventing escaped pets from becoming wild.

However, the decision to accept pets is left to local governments and evacuation centers.

When shelters accept pets, it is necessary for evacuees and pets to stay in separate areas in light of animal allergies.

There are issues such as setting up an area to leave the pets, how to care for them and how to deal with inclement weather if they are kept outdoors.

Some local governments, which have their hands full with other tasks, refuse to allow pets to accompany their owners to evacuation centers, and others encounter difficulties due to a lack of clear rules on their accommodations. 

On the other hand, it is a critical issue for families to evacuate with their pets.

Kurume city in Fukuoka Prefecture, which had suffered flooding for four consecutive years since 2018, established a special facility within a city theme park for evacuees and their pets to stay in the same space in 2021.

This was in response to requests from citizens and was the first such facility in Kyushu. Pet owners stay in tents with their animals, which are housed in cages.

Twenty-two people and 16 dogs and cats evacuated in the shelters in the heavy downpours in August 2021 and 65 people and 35 dogs and cats did so during Typhoon No. 14 in September 2022.

Many said that “we felt relieved that we were able to evacuate together.”

Shotaro Yano, an official of the city’s disaster prevention department, said, “The biggest advantage of the facility is that pet owners can evacuate without hesitation.”

The city plans to expand such evacuation centers to other locations during the current fiscal year.

Yuko Motoo, a member of a volunteer organization that provides information on disaster prevention for pets, said it is important for pet owners to prepare for disasters.

These preparations include familiarizing their pets with cages and carriers and training them not to make noises when separated from their owners to avoid disturbing other evacuees.

She also said it is necessary to contact the local governments in advance to check the nearest evacuation center that accepts pets.

“The actions that can be taken during a disaster are limited,” Motoo said. “It is important for pet owners to steadily prepare in their daily lives.”