A new Dog Desk Animal Action briefing published to coincide with COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Climate discussions increasingly recognise what extreme heat, wildfire, flooding and other disasters mean for people, wildlife and communities.
But there is another population entirely dependent on human preparedness: animals already confined within shelters.
As shelter systems expand and more animals are concentrated within facilities, we believe climate resilience needs to be considered alongside shelter capacity.
That is why Dog Desk Animal Action has produced Animal Shelters In A Changing Climate.
The briefing asks a simple but important question:
Are shelter systems ready for extreme weather and disaster?
We have looked beyond the number of kennels or spaces available and examined what preparedness means when normal conditions fail.
The briefing draws on published standards, legislation, municipal information and real-world examples from different shelter systems. It is not a ranking of countries or facilities. It is intended to open a wider discussion about an area of animal welfare that deserves greater attention.
Read The Briefing
Animal Shelters In A Changing Climate
Are shelter systems ready for extreme weather and disaster?
Animal Shelters in a Changing Climate Civil Society Briefing for COP31
Our Letter To The COP31 Presidency
As COP31 approaches in Antalya, Türkiye, Dog Desk Animal Action has sent our new briefing, Animal Shelters in a Changing Climate, to the COP31 Presidency.
We are asking for the needs of animals housed within shelters to be considered within the wider conversation around climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness.
Below is our letter to the COP31 Presidency in full.
To: COP31 Presidency
Dear COP31 Presidency,
As COP31 approaches in Antalya, Dog Desk Animal Action is submitting our new briefing, Animal Shelters in a Changing Climate: Are Shelter Systems Ready for Extreme Weather and Disaster?
COP31 has identified resilient cities and infrastructure, together with strengthening resilience to climate impacts, among its areas of focus, and the Presidency has stated its intention to encourage meaningful participation by civil society.
We believe there is an animal population that deserves greater consideration within that discussion: animals already confined within shelters and entirely dependent upon people for their safety.
Extreme heat, wildfire, flooding and disruption to essential services can place animal shelters themselves inside an emergency.
When that happens, the questions are intensely practical.
Can water, food and essential animal care continue if normal services are disrupted? Can veterinary treatment continue? If a shelter must be evacuated, are there enough vehicles, crates, trained people and suitable alternative accommodation? Can every animal remain identifiable and accounted for throughout an emergency?
As governments and municipalities expand animal shelter systems, we believe disaster resilience needs to develop alongside physical shelter capacity.
Our briefing therefore makes one central recommendation:
Every animal shelter should maintain an annually reviewed disaster and evacuation plan proportionate to the number and needs of animals in its care.
Such planning should address foreseeable hazards; continuity of water, power and essential animal care; veterinary continuity; evacuation transport; predetermined alternative accommodation; staff responsibilities; regular exercises; and public disclosure of key preparedness information.
The briefing is not a ranking or assessment of individual countries or shelter systems. It draws together standards, legislation, municipal information and real-world examples to encourage a wider discussion about what shelter climate resilience looks like in practice.
COP31 will take place in Antalya from 9–20 November 2026. We respectfully ask the Presidency to consider the needs of animals housed within shelters as part of the wider conversation around climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness.
A copy of Animal Shelters in a Changing Climate accompanies this letter.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Michelle Robertson
Chief Executive Officer
Dog Desk Animal Action CIC
United Kingdom
dogdeskanimalaction.com