SOS Animal is calling on the Portuguese state to urgently create a support mechanism for organisations that rescue animals during disasters.
The animal welfare association says Portugal is lagging behind other European Union countries by failing to provide structured support in emergency situations.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, SOS Animal said it is “not acceptable” that rescue organisations continue to face disasters without state backing.
“It is not acceptable that, in a country of the European Union, there is not a single structured support mechanism for organisations that rescue animals in disaster situations, and that these organisations continue to face the unthinkable alone, without resources, without coordination and without formal recognition of the essential role they play,” the association said.
According to SOS Animal, it is animal welfare groups and volunteers who are repeatedly saving lives when disasters such as fires, floods or storms strike. They organise improvised shelters, provide veterinary care and ensure food and transport, often covering the costs and risks themselves.
“This reality is not compatible with a modern state nor with the principles of the EU, which recognises animals as sentient beings and requires their welfare to be considered in public policies,” SOS Animal said.
The group warns that climate change will make extreme events more frequent, intense and destructive, increasing the urgency of action.
SOS Animal points to what it describes as serious gaps in Portugal’s preparedness. These include the lack of a national plan for animal evacuation and protection, the absence of emergency funding for rescue organisations, no mandatory contingency plans for livestock farms, no pre-identified infrastructure for temporary animal sheltering, and poor operational coordination between civil protection, veterinary authorities and organisations on the ground.
According to the association, this lack of planning makes “each catastrophe more serious, more chaotic and more costly for the State itself”.
To address these shortcomings, SOS Animal proposes several measures. These include creating a National Animal Protection Plan integrated into Civil Protection, setting up a National Emergency Financial Support Line, introducing mandatory contingency plans for livestock farms, developing emergency infrastructure and logistics, and integrating climate adaptation into legislation.
The association also highlights measures that could be implemented immediately, without complex structural reforms. These include creating an interministerial working group with participation from organisations operating on the ground, launching a pilot emergency fund in the next state budget, developing standard protocols for municipalities, and identifying veterinary clinics and organisations that could be part of emergency response networks.
“It is deeply concerning to see that, in the face of increasingly predictable phenomena, the Portuguese State has still failed to create even minimal mechanisms to protect animals in disaster situations and to support the organisations responding on the ground. Animal protection is not a secondary issue. It is a matter of public responsibility, ethics and civilisation,” SOS Animal said.
The association also points to the European framework, recalling that EU reports explicitly recommend including animals in disaster response plans and integrating animal protection organisations into coordination and emergency funding mechanisms, including the 2023 report Eurogroup for Animals, Animals in Disasters – Recommendations for the EU and Member States.
Audits and technical documents from the European Commission stress that the evacuation and protection of animals, including livestock, should be planned in advance as part of risk management.
AS SOS Animal points out, several European countries have already taken concrete steps. In Germany, trained volunteer units and animal rescue organisations are integrated into the civil protection system, working closely with firefighters and local authorities. In Spain, several autonomous regions have protocols for rescuing animals during fires and floods, and animals are included in territorial emergency plans. France has national guidelines that define the responsibilities of agricultural operators in protecting animals during emergencies, with coordination between veterinary services and civil protection. Italy has veterinary teams integrated into Civil Protection and specific protocols for evacuating and sheltering animals during earthquakes and floods, while the Netherlands includes livestock risk assessment and preventive measures in its climate adaptation and flood management plans.
According to SOS Animal, the technical evidence is clear. Integrating animal protection into emergency planning is not a side issue, but a matter of operational efficiency, public safety and effective risk management.
