Kathleen Cameron has 19 pets and says she's not going to adhere to flood evacuation orders until they are all high and dry.
The woman was among the residents told to leave the small Cabbage Tree Island in northern NSW on Saturday.
But when the SES co-ordinated bus pulled up, Ms Cameron was standing on her verandah with some of her eight dogs and eight cats.
Her turtle, Winston, and two birds were inside.
"It'd kill me (if they were harmed)," she told AAP in the small the Aboriginal community on Saturday.
"I'm not just going to leave them by themselves."
Two people have died in NSW floodwaters after ex-cyclone Debbie dumped heavy rain in large parts of the state.
The island's evacuation order was issued on Saturday morning, with major flooding expected when the river peaked at an expected 4.2 metres at nearby Woodburn.
People were busy moving cars, furniture and supplies to higher ground in the hours before the bus arrived.
Two men said they were going to stay with their pigs and piglets, who had moments before been chased through flood waters by children.
The island's evacuation comes after Lismore was devastated by near-record flooding on Friday.
The SES is now warning downstream communities, such as Ballina, to be prepared as the water moves towards the ocean.
On Cabbage Tree Island, many houses back directly onto the river, which was approaching backyards by midday.
Danielle Ferguson was worried as she packed up, having been spooked by pictures of flooding in Lismore.
"We didn't expect Lismore to get like that," she told AAP.
"I've never seen it like that."
Residents who have left the island don't know when they will be back and those who are staying don't know when they will be able to get out.
Waters have begun to recede in some NSW flood affected areas, with a major clean up effort in areas like Lismore and Murwillumbah expected from Monday.
