Animals in Emergencies

About

This engagement has closed for comment. Check out the next Managing Animals in Emergencies engagement here.

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Are you an animal owner, manager or carer? If so, help us to improve the management of animal welfare in major emergencies by giving your feedback about planning for and responding to an emergency event.

What is being decided?

Recent natural disasters in South Australia, such as the fires at Sampson Flat in January 2015 and the Pinery Fire in November 2015, resulted in the death and injury of tens of thousands of animals including livestock, pets and wildlife. Such loss of life is tragic in itself, but can also have a long-lasting emotional (and often financial) impact on the people who care for these animals, having relied on them as part of their wellbeing or livelihood.

The Animals in Emergencies SA Framework Project (PDF, 270KB) is looking at how animal owners, community, government and non-government organisations can collectively contribute to the care and safety of animals in major emergencies such as floods, severe storms, fires, heatwave, earthquake or man-made emergencies such as chemical or oil spills.

While emergency management is a shared responsibility, animals rely on their owners or carers to plan and prepare ahead of an emergency in order to ensure their safety. At all times, the owner, manager or carer is responsible for their animals’ wellbeing - before, during and after an emergency. If an emergency were to occur today, would you know what to do with your animals and would you be prepared to act? What if you were away from your property at the time of an event?

This Project is seeking input on what information you (as an animal owner, manager or carer) need so that you understand the risks and can plan and enact an emergency response safely for your animals, including recovery after an event. Many community members, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations are able to provide information to animal owners and carers to help plan ahead for a range of emergency situations, but can you find the right information for you and does it suit your situation? If you have been through a major emergency, what did you learn about managing the welfare of your animals that might help others?

How can your input influence the decision?

Although we cannot answer personal requests for information directly, your feedback is important to help us understand how animal owners, the community, government agencies and other organisations involved in emergency management and animal welfare could focus efforts to improve our collective ability to manage animals in emergencies. The Animals in Emergencies SA Framework Project will summarise current management arrangements in a guideline ('framework') document and use the information gained from your feedback to make recommendations to the State Emergency Management Committee. Recommendations will focus on the development of strategies, programs, information sources or events that will raise awareness of the issues, help people to plan and prepare, and empower people to act safely and responsibly with their animals before, during and after an emergency incident.

You can share your views via the online discussion and if you are a South Australian animal owner, manager or carer, you can complete the survey.

How will your input will be used?

An update on project progress is currently anticipated to be available via yourSAy in August 2016. This will include an opportunity for you to comment on a draft framework document outlining roles, responsibilities, current emergency management arrangements and key recommendations for future strategies and programs.

Want to know more?

You can contact us via:

• Twitter: @SA_PIRSA
• Email: PIRSA.AnimalEmergency@sa.gov.au