Unless you've had to pack up, make difficult decisions, and evacuate knowing you may never go 'home' again it's not for you to judge. I probably would not stay here again for a hurricane higher than a one. It is a very big problem that there aren't more shelters that allow pets. My biggest responsibility is to keep my children safe.
I wasn't judging. Just making an observation. People have to do what they feel is best.
When Hugo hit here in '89, my wife (not then though) had 3' of water go through her house on the Isle of Palms. The government shut down the island and wouldn't let her (or anyone else) back on for two weeks, so a lot of stuff got ruined or stolen. To make matters worse, Senator Hollings got air lifted to his house to secure his things while the National Guard had troops on the island with orders to shoot people on the island, homeowners or not. Now, every time a storm nears, I pack up the dogs and bird and head out, leaving her there. She vows she'd rather swim from the roof than go through that again.
I know I could never leave them....I just couldn't live with myself...and my conscience woudln't let me. I just feel animals are worth the extra trouble of planning ahead. How someone could leave them behind is really amazing to me.