There is a simple solution for the pet problem. Assuming that some of these pets live till a later time which is likely. Any pet seperating from its owner should have a tag put on it with the owners name and claim number. At a later time The pets can be rounded up and returned to any owner that claims them. Or the pets can be caged even. Very cheap, quick and easy to impliment if it part of disater planning.
Louisiana SPCA offered this to the population, and then managed to move 260 animals to Houston before Katrina hit.
More communication of this, with strong emphasis, and some time spent convincing people of this, may have led more to seek shelter rather than die in their attics. It's a big issue, I think, for those who stayed in their homes. Think of the manpower that could have been saved for other things if more people had been willing to let others care for their pets.
Think of the difference for that child, if he had been told his dog would be cared for and there for him to have back later.