Reducing Companion Animal Abandonment During Disaster-Driven Relocation: A Four-Year Study in Maceió, Brazil

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• Animal Welfare Science
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Seismic events from rock salt mining in Maceió, Brazil, caused emergency family relocations and increased companion animal abandonment.
• A significant number of companion animals were not relocated with their guardians during initial displacement events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of systematic monitoring and environmental education in reducing companion animal abandonment during disaster-driven relocations.
• To evaluate the impact of the Integra Animal Project on animal retention rates.

Main Methods:

• The Integra Animal Project integrated environmental education, continuous monitoring, sanitary management, and population control.
• Monitoring covered 2559 households and 6673 animals by December 2024.
• Data collection occurred between March 2018 and September 2020, with ongoing monitoring.

Main Results:

• Companion animal abandonment rates decreased substantially from 56.8% to 5.45% over the study period.
• Cats exhibited significantly higher escape rates compared to dogs.
• The project demonstrated improved animal retention during relocation processes.

Conclusions:

• Integrated strategies combining systematic monitoring and environmental education are effective in mitigating companion animal abandonment during disaster-related relocations.
• These findings support the importance of such interventions for animal welfare, public health, and One Health initiatives.