Bridging the Gap: How Shelterly Helps Fill the Void in Disaster Animal Response Amid FEMA Cuts

In recent years, communities across the United States have faced an alarming trend: a reduction in FEMA’s capacity and funding for disaster response. With increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters—from wildfires to hurricanes—local agencies and nonprofit partners are being asked to do more with less.

The Gap

This growing gap has left critical needs unmet, especially in areas often overlooked during large-scale responses—like animal rescue, evacuation support, and sheltering for pets and livestock.

FEMA’s scaled-back involvement in non-life-threatening services, such as animal-related operations, isn’t a reflection of decreased need—it’s the result of stretched resources and shifting priorities. 

FEMA's Focus

While FEMA remains focused on high-level coordination and infrastructure recovery, local jurisdictions are left to manage the hands-on, high-stakes work of evacuating animals, reuniting families with pets, and coordinating volunteer response teams. That work demands fast, accurate data, cross-jurisdiction communication, and real-time logistics—something traditional tools like whiteboards and spreadsheets simply can’t deliver.

Shelterly's Role

That’s where Shelterly steps in. Built from real-world disaster experience, Shelterly is a digital platform designed specifically for animal disaster response. It streamlines everything from animal intake and tracking to search and rescue coordination and shelter management. 

Shelterly replaces outdated, inconsistent systems with reliable, easy-to-use tools that responders can access in the field or in the EOC. 

The Solution

The result is clearer communication, faster coordination, and better outcomes for both animals and the people who care for them. By filling this critical gap, Shelterly helps communities stay resilient and proactive in the face of disaster. 

Rather than waiting on limited federal support, local responders equipped with Shelterly can act immediately—organizing volunteers, documenting operations, and ensuring no animal falls through the cracks. It’s not just about technology—it’s about giving people the tools they need to own their response, stay organized under pressure, and serve their communities with confidence.

As FEMA’s role continues to evolve, tools like Shelterly represent a new model for disaster response: local-first, scalable, and built on the lived experience of responders. I’ve been on the ground when systems failed, and I’ve seen what happens when communities are empowered with the right tools. 

Shelterly is more than a platform—it’s a commitment to making sure animals, and the people who love them, are never left behind.