How to Get Your Pet Through a Typhoon in the Philippines
Planning starts before the signal
Rappler’s guide, built on PETA Asia’s advice, says about 20 tropical cyclones cross the Philippine area of responsibility each year, with monsoon rains adding floods in between. Cebu Daily News says households should prepare well before a typhoon signal goes up, and that pets are often overlooked during evacuations and floods.
What goes in the pet go bag
PETA Asia’s emergency kit list starts with secure carriers for small animals and leashes for dogs. Add food, water, and bowls. Towels and a familiar toy or blanket help keep animals calmer. One pet-care guide from Gravipaw also suggests a collar or harness with a legible ID tag and any regular medication.
No carrier at home
PAWS says a laundry basket or a basin works as a makeshift carrier. If you can’t carry your pet out, it advises unchaining the animal or unlocking its cage, and calls abandoning a pet a last resort. PETA Asia also says not to cage or tie animals up, since that can stop them from escaping when their lives are at risk.
Give them somewhere higher
PETA Asia recommends letting pets reach a second floor freely if your house has one. During Typhoon Carina in July 2024, Manila’s disaster office rescued dogs from floods described as waist-to-neck deep. Once the wind picks up, EcoFlow’s safety guide says to keep pets away from windows, glass doors, and outer walls.
Ask about the evacuation center now
PEP.ph reported that in 2025 many families found out too late that evacuation centers weren’t equipped for pets, and it advises checking ahead with your local government unit. EcoFlow notes that policies differ by LGU. Some cities set aside pet spaces. Many centers keep animals apart from people for health reasons.
Quezon City’s veterinary department set up a pet evacuation area beside the Bagong Silangan evacuation center, according to the Philippine Canadian Inquirer. Pets are registered like human evacuees and can get free food and water. During Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in October 2024, the city took in 32 pets at its pet evacuation center in the same barangay, per the Philippine News Agency: ten adult dogs, 16 puppies, and six cats. They got food, vitamins, and antibiotics against leptospirosis, and unvaccinated pets received anti-rabies shots.
Save the numbers before the network gets busy
EcoFlow warns that cellular networks can get congested during severe storms and that brownouts make searching for contacts harder, so save emergency numbers ahead of time. PETA Asia’s rescue line is 0999 888 7382 (0999 888 PETA). PEP.ph reports the hotline stays open during a disaster and that PETA coordinates with LGUs on rescues.
