Politics · Japan · 1 hr ago
Osaka helps municipalities plan for pets in disasters
Osaka Prefecture is helping local governments plan for pets in disasters.
In Japan, many people evacuate with their pets, but shelter rules differ from place to place.
National guidance says owners should take pets to safety, and the government has asked shelters to create special pet areas.
Some pet owners have slept in cars when shelters would not accept their animals, including during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes and a July 2026 earthquake.
Sleeping in cars can be dangerous: some people who did so after the 2016 earthquakes developed blood clots in their lungs.
Osaka has started study meetings to help city and town workers prepare plans, with experts discussing how shelters can handle different animals and people’s needs.
More than 410,000 dogs were registered in Osaka Prefecture at the end of March 2025, and officials estimate there were at least as many pet cats.
The prefecture’s work aims to make evacuation safer for people and pets, but there is no single way to manage shelters because they are not all run by local governments.
Osaka Prefecture has started helping municipalities make plans for pets during disasters.
The effort includes study meetings for city and town workers and experts.
Shelters have differed in whether and how they accept pets, leaving some evacuees unable to find places to stay with their animals.
After the Kumamoto earthquake in July 2026, some evacuees with pets again slept in cars.
More than 410,000 dogs were registered in Osaka Prefecture at the end of March 2025, and officials believe at least as many cats were kept as pets.
- Who
- The Osaka Prefectural Government is helping municipalities plan for pets in disasters.
- What
- It has started support and study meetings for city and town workers.
- When
- The first meeting was held in August 2026.
- Where
- Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture.
- Why
- Shelter rules for pets vary, and some evacuees with pets have been unable to find shelters that accept them.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Pet evacuation became a major issue after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Ministry of the Environment issued guidelines saying pet owners should evacuate with their pets.
The national government asked shelters to make special areas for pets.
During the Kumamoto earthquake, some evacuees with pets slept in cars because they could not find shelters that would take pets.
Osaka Prefecture held its first study meeting for city and town workers in Tondabayashi.
- Dogs registered in Osaka
- More than 410,000 at the end of March 2025
- Estimated cats
- At least as many as dogs, according to officials; clear numbers are unavailable
- First study meeting
- August 2026, in Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture
- National shelter request
- Special pet areas requested in May 2020
What people are saying
What if a person needing help came to an evacuation shelter with a pet during a bad storm?
Is it really all right to tie the pet up outside in the rain?