since we are protected, guarded, and totally loved by our two dogs, I am so happy to hear that people are allowed to evacuate with crated pets...
and for you dog people out there, this is a very good reason to get your pets "crate trained"... which isn't at all hard to do. If they love their crates, they will be much happier about the "strangeness" of evacuation.
Best long term way to crate train dogs is to sneak wonderful smelly "treats" in their crate when they aren't looking. They discover all on their own that the crate is the place where mysterious goodies just magically appear.
After that, it is time to give them all of their food in their crates... they see the crate as "the place" to go for food..
After they get used to that, then you can teach the command, "go to your crate", with a extra special treat promptly given. After they get that concept, move the crate to a different location, repeat...
Once they get that "go to your crate" isn't place specific, then you start telling them to go to their crate when strangers come to the door, when you are having dinner, etc... and do not do the tasty treat until they learn to be "quiet" in the crate...
The crate then becomes a "safe place" in their lil doggie heads. Never crate a dog as a punishment. Never crate a dog for long periods of time. Make sure they have a favorite toy, or blanket, in their crate...
Just some suggestions... and make sure you spend money on a crate. The cheaper wire crates will not take a panicky dog with strong jaws. And, I prefer the tougher wire crates, because they have better ventilation in hot temperatures. These can collapse for travel, and can always be covered with a blanket if the dog needs a sense of security...
Stay safe hummingbird! MSNBC just showed all the pets brought in from NO waiting to reunite with their families. I know they are confused and scared in those cages. It was so sad to watch.