Animal welfare in disasters

Animal Welfare Emergency Management (AWEM) is a developing area of emergency management. This term is used to describe the management of animal welfare needs through all phases of emergency management. It is a critical component of modern emergency management due to the complex bond between humans and animals. Evacuation non-compliance of pet owners in recent catastrophic disasters has been attributed to this bond (Heath et al, 2001a). Today, most veterinary schools do not include AWEM in their curriculum even though AWEM is an essential part of the veterinary profession's obligation to both animals and humans (Madigan and Dacre, 2009).

‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’ (Gandhi).

New Zealand is one of the most advanced countries when it comes to disaster preparedness, monitoring and warnings (Squance, 2011). However, until recently animals have not been considered in emergency management planning and the animal health profession has had little direct involvement in emergency management. Production animals are particularly at risk, as they occupy approximately 50% of the land mass of New Zealand. Additionally, the country's economy relies heavily on the animal health industry as more than 42% of New Zealand's merchandise exports are derived from animal products (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2011).