{
  "id": 14052863,
  "title": "Osaka Pref. steps up efforts to support pet-friendly disaster shelters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/osaka-pref-steps-up-efforts-to-support-pet-friendly-disaster-shelters",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T22:00:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261009/p2a/00m/0na/015000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Osaka Prefecture is taking steps to support pet-friendly disaster shelters, recognizing that many people consider their pets family members. Evacuating with pets has become common during disasters, but local governments in Japan have differing approaches to accommodating pets at evacuation shelters. The Osaka Prefectural Government has begun supporting municipalities in developing systems to accept pets during disasters, including organizing study sessions with experts. In 2013, the Ministry of the Environment recommended evacuating with pets, emphasizing the importance for both animal welfare and owners' emotional well-being. However, local governments vary in how they handle pet shelters, as some owners and pets may stay together at evacuation centers due to concerns from other evacuees or allergies. Following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, concerns arose about pulmonary embolism among evacuees sleeping in vehicles due to pet-related discomfort. The national government revised its Basic Disaster Management Plan in 2020, calling for dedicated pet areas at evacuation shelters. Despite progress, some evacuees still slept in vehicles during the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake due to lack of pet-friendly shelters. The Osaka Prefectural Government launched study sessions for municipal employees to help them understand the need for pet accommodations and learn specific ways to accept pets at shelters. The sessions aim to address the range of situations that can arise during disasters, such as evacuating with pets during violent storms or caring for various pets like dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles. As of the end of fiscal 2024, over 410,000 dogs and likely at least as many cats were registered as pets in the prefecture, with the exact number of other animals unknown. The prefectural government hopes that sharing examples of successful practices among municipalities will encourage all to develop their own approaches to accommodating pets during disasters.",
  "summary": "OSAKA -- Evacuating with pets, which many people consider members of the family, is no longer uncommon during disasters. However, local governments in",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}