Many people who are evacuating are LETTING THEIR ANIMALS LOOSE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES because the hotels they are going to don't take pets.
One woman I know had a neighbor knock on her door before evacuating. She wanted to know if she could call when the storm was over to see if her house had survived. Just then, she saw the neighbor lady's dog running loose in the street, looking worried and confused. She said "Hey, your dog is loose!!" The lady said, "Yeah, we thought it would be cruel and unsafe to leave them in the house." (cats and dogs)
So they were just turning them loose to fend for themselves! If anyone sees loose pets, PLEASE try to catch them to protect them from the storm. Breed rescue groups will take them as soon as they are able to. Personally, I wouldn't return them to their so-called "owners" when the storm is over because they don't deserve to have them back.
(Sorry if this topic has been covered a zillion times; I'm late to the thread and not planning on reading 2700+ posts tonight.)
Going to bed in Seattle,Prayers for all