Hawke's Bay locals learn how to evacuate animals in an emergency

Dogs, cats, even the occasional lion, needs evacuating during an emergency. Photo / Ian Cooper

Over the weekend, a group gathered at Taradale High School to learn how to look after and evacuate animals during an emergency.

The training, run by charity Animal Evac , covers everything from animal disaster management philosophy, to micro-chipping, to dog fight prevention.

Board of Trustees member, Julia Wells , said ensuring animals can be evacuated during an emergency not only saves animal lives, it saves people.

She said 44 per cent of people who refused to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina in the US said not being able to take their animals with them was part of the reason for not leaving.

It was also an issue during the Tasman fires, with people trying to get back into the cordons to look after their animals.

She said during an emergency, her advice is to take your animals with you, and make sure you have water and food for them in your emergency go-bag.

She said having enough carry cages and leashes for all your animals is another step people can take.

During the fires in Tasman, the charity gave out carry cages, as many people who had multiple cats only had one cage.

If a disaster were to hit Hawke's Bay (or anywhere else in New Zealand), Animal Evac would work with local authorities to set up animal-friendly shelters, so people could stay with their animals.

She said staying with pets is great for people in a stressful situation, especially for children, as animals can be a calming presence.

She said it was great to have more people trained in Hawke's Bay, as while Animal Evac will deploy people during an emergency, it is always important to have trained people on the ground who know a region well.

MPI is responsible for co-ordinating animal welfare services in emergencies.

There is a checklist on the MPI website for what people should have for animals in their emergency kits.

There are different lists for pets, assistance animals (such as guide dogs), livestock and lifestyle block animals.