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Pets are so far surviving Sandy, with hundreds of animals safe in shelters and rescue workers standing by to help pets in trouble.

Even hotels that are usually not animal-friendly are waiving restrictions and allowing pets to stay during the disaster.

"It is so important that people evacuate with their pets," said Tim Rickey, senior director of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. "If your home isn't safe for you, it's not safe for your pet. Once you evacuate you never know when you will be back."

All of New York City's 76 evacuation shelters welcome pets. So far, shelters are housing nearly 240 animals, about the same as during Hurricane Irene last year. Rickey expects the number to rise.

The Humane Society has been tweeting locations of all the animal-friendly shelters in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

New York City made evacuations a little easier on owners by accepting pets on the subway, taxis and trains.

"It's a progressive step for New York to recognize that public transportation is a primary mode of transportation for people who are going to emergency shelters," Rickey says.

For pets that have been separated from their families, owners are relying on Facebook for a reunion. Groups like "Baltimore Pets Misplaced By Hurricane Sandy" provide a forum to post pictures of lost and found pets. Others are posting on Craigslist.