Animal safety in emergencies

From 2015 to 2020, major rural fires in South Australia resulted in more than 143,000 known animal deaths.

Despite this, evidence indicates that many animal owners and managers are failing to plan for emergency situations.

Good animal management includes ensuring the welfare of your animals before, during and after emergency events. Whether it's bushfires, storms or floods, such events can easily result in separation between animals and their owners, and possibly injury or death.

See our range of resources to help give you a good understanding of how to effectively and safely manage your animals before, during and after an emergency event.

All information provided is based on the Managing Animals in Emergencies framework, developed by PIRSA as a guide to the key issues to consider when planning for animals in emergencies.

It also covers the responsibilities of animal owners and what assistance and services that may be available to help.

Prepare an animal emergency plan

When preparing an animal emergency plan, it is important to understand that different types of emergencies may require different plans.

Planning for a fire can require different factors than for storms or floods.

Assess the level of risk likely for different emergencies in the area where your animals live, taking into account these key considerations:

  • Will your animals be safer left where they are or will you need to move them to a safer place if time allows?
  • Think about what will trigger you to enact your plan. Will it be a forecast of extreme weather, an emergency warning or something else?
  • What items will you need to support your animal? Think about what you would put in an emergency kit
  • If the power fails, do you need to provide a back-up generator for watering, feeding, milking or ventilation of livestock?
  • What are the temporary accommodation or agistment options for your animals should your property be damaged or destroyed?

Once you have set out your animal emergency plan, as part of your own personal emergency plan to keep yourself safe, it's a good idea to follow these steps:

  • Practice your animal emergency plan as part of your personal emergency survival plan
  • Discuss your plan with neighbours, friends and family
  • Insure your animals and keep documentation in multiple locations so you can access it
  • Ensure all animals can be readily identified in case you are separated
  • Put together an animal emergency kit that can be easily relocated with your animal if necessary

See more resources to help you make an emergency plan for your pets, animals and livestock:

During an emergency event

When enacting your emergency animal plan remember that safety of people is the priority.

Animal owners are encouraged to act in a manner that ensures their own safety, that of emergency responders and the community. Animal owners should not expect others to risk their lives by entering a dangerous area to manage or relocate animals.

If animal owners decide to leave animals on their property during an emergency, others need to respect that decision and not remove animals unless the owners has given permission to do so.

After an emergency event

Relief centres

In the early stages or immediately after a major emergency, government agencies will often establish relief centres. These centres offer short-term shelter, information and personal support services for affected people.

In most cases, assistance animals can accompany their owners into a relief centre but that is usually not possible for other animals. Be prepared that if you take animals to a relief centre you will be responsible for their management and care outside of the centre.

Animal care, management and referrals for information may be obtained at relief centres by requesting assistance through relief centre staff. PIRSA’s may be able to coordinate support through the RSPCA SA, Animal Welfare League or South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management (SAVEM) if required.

Temporary accommodation for animals

If you need shelter for your animals, you can register at the relief centre for temporary accommodation. The relevant agency will contact you to discuss options, which may involve fees.

Rehabilitating land to support livestock and wildlife

After an emergency you will often be faced with replacing destroyed infrastructure such as troughs, fences and feeding equipment, along with the restoration of pastures and natural areas.

You can support the rehabilitation process on your property by:

  • removing contaminated waste
  • stabilizing and replenishing soils
  • managing stock grazing to enable vegetation/pasture recovery
  • controlling pest plants and animals
  • revegetating if needed.

Assistance for injured animals

As soon as it is safe to do so, animal owners and managers are encouraged to seek veterinary treatment for any injured animals.

Animal owners and managers can contact PIRSA for assistance if they believe that early assessment is critical for the welfare of a significant number of animals in the impacted area.

Animal relief services

Key organisations that support PIRSA are South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management (SAVEM), RSPCA SA, Animal Welfare League and Primary Producers SA.

Services provided to farmers and producers by PIRSA after an emergency can include:

  • inspecting and assessing burnt/injured livestock
  • advising on how to access veterinary services
  • assisting with euthanasia of severely burnt/injured livestock on welfare grounds
  • providing advice on disposal options for deceased livestock
  • coordinating emergency fodder, water and fencing through Primary Producers SA.

Private veterinarians and clinics also play a critical role in the ongoing care of injured animals after an emergency. Call your local veterinary to get help.

Disposing of deceased animals

If you are dealing with deceased animals after an emergency, prompt disposal of the carcasses is vital to minimise any chance of disease - particularly when a large number of stock are involved.

PIRSA can provide advice on how to get assistance for stock carcass disposal.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) provides information on the methods and sites for the safe and legal disposal of animal carcasses.

Animal owners who are unable to dispose of carcasses themselves should seek help through neighbours, friends, community contacts or hire contractors. If these are not available, contact the local council.

Support for the disposal of deceased pets and smaller animals may be available from hired contractors, local veterinary clinics and the Animal Welfare League.

Deceased wildlife

If you come across deceased wildlife or pest animals in the natural environment, you are advised to leave the bodies so they can decompose.

If you find deceased wildlife or pest animals on your property, prompt and appropriate disposal should occur. Contact the EPA or your local council for further information and assistance.

Lost animals

As a result of emergency events, fences, gates and other enclosures holding animals may be damaged. This can lead to animals straying onto other properties or roads, which creates safety, disease and biosecurity issues.

Once you gain access to your property and, if it is safe to do so, search the area for any lost animals.

If you are unable to locate your animal(s) contact the following to see if they have been found or reported:

  • the local council
  • local animal shelters and veterinarians
  • RSPCA SA or Animal Welfare League

The internet also has many lost and found sites (e.g. ‘Lost Pets of South Australia’ or ‘Lost Dogs of Adelaide’) if animals have not been located using other methods.

Reuniting owners and animals

Reuniting animals and owners as quickly as possible after an emergency assists in the recovery process. However, for safety reasons, access to your home or property may be delayed immediately after the emergency.

In many cases, residents and property owners will be able to enter an affected area before the general public.

This is so they can protect their properties or livestock. Proof of identity or property ownership will be required in these cases.

How to identify lost animals

If you find stray stock, check for National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tags - PIRSA may be able to identify the animals and contact the owners.

If a lost animal is microchipped, local councils, SA Veterinary Emergency Management (SAVEM) and  vets have microchip readers and may be able to assist.

Assistance dogs are microchipped and may have a special medallion with an identification number and an emergency contact number on their collar which will connect to the organisation that supports the dog/owner.

Helping with emergency recovery

Volunteering

As animals may be highly stressed or injured and at risk from disease as a result of the emergency, it is recommended only volunteers with prior emergency training, or who are members of official response organisations, should assist with animal welfare during the response period.

See information on where and how to volunteer to help in recovery from emergency events.

Donations

It is recommended to collect money rather than goods to assist those affected by an emergency, so that they can purchase what they need most. Spending money in their own communities also assists local businesses in their recovery.

After fires and floods, livestock may require emergency fodder. Fodder donations are often coordinated and distributed by Primary Producers SA, through Livestock SA.

Emergency Management Hotline

Call for assistance immediately following any emergency event.

Experienced staff can help you with agricultural impacts and urgent animal issues that cannot be dealt with through veterinary or community services.

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Freecall 1800 255 556
Page last reviewed: 18 Dec 2023

 


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