See our News for updates.
Animal Evac New Zealand deployed a total of 10 animal disaster response volunteers with experience in animal disaster management, international humanitarian aid, veterinary medicine, disaster victim identification, paramedicine, incident management, animal control, wildland firefighting, military command and technical animal rescue is on the ground in New South Wales. The team have now returned home as the disaster moved into the recovery phase which local capacity can meet. This response would not have been possible without the kind support of SAFE.
This is the first time New Zealand has deployed a trained animal disaster response team overseas and the priority was to support local agencies in addressing any animal response specific needs. Animal Evac New Zealand also became the first specialist animal disaster response team to arrive from overseas and undertake operational rescues of wildfire affected animals.
The volunteer team had all completed wildland fire safety training or wildland firefighting courses to ensure their safety and did not enter active fireground’s.
Animal Evac New Zealand had registered their capacity to assist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries as the lead for animal emergency management, as well as offered with capacity to the RSPCA in NSW also.
The team was available to assist response agencies, and had the following capabilities or able to provide advice on:
Animal Evac New Zealand thanks the Ministry for Primary Industries (NZ) for their role in providing guidance in our deployment.
For communities affected from the NSW fires, please visit the SES Get Ready Animals website.
If you have an animal emergency experience you would like to share, please visit MyAnimalDisasterStory.
Animal Evac is New Zealand’s only dedicated animal disaster management charity, and has the largest pool of trained animal disaster responders with over 240 volunteers across the country. Many of which are available if additional trained personnel are required for deployment. We also are the only registered animal charity in New Zealand that is a signatory to the International Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct and have our own internal code of conduct that includes assisting affected communities without judgement as we do not have any role in animal welfare compliance.
Donations via bank wire can be made to
Animal Evac New Zealand Trust
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)
National: 0205060139835-02/002
International: 00-0205060139835-002
Swift BKNZNZ22
Media enquiries
info@animalevac.nz
After Action Report
As part of being an accountable and professional disaster response organisation, we ensure we publish an After Action Report for any significant deployments. You can download our Australian Fires 2020 After Action Report here.
