Earthquake Disaster Animal Relief – Japan 2011

June 10, 2011 – four of our members were asked to assist with a rescue group in Japan(Japan Earthquake Animal Relief)  to assist with the post earthquake/tsunami animal relief efforts.   Please go to our Flickr account (on this website) to see the photos that our members sent in.

Disaster Relief

CAAT’s beginning was as a disaster relief team in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast.   Since that time, CAAT has served as a disaster relief team in Peru after the devastating earthquakes there destroyed 80% of 3 cities in that country and assisted in the fundraising efforts to support ARCH (Animal Relief Coalition in Haiti) after the earthquakes there.

CAAT is part of a network of many animal relief organizations that are available to assist with animal care in the aftermath of any natural or man-made disasters worldwide.   Trained First Response Teams go into a disaster zone and assess the situation and the need for animal relief.  These teams can contact CAAT to assist as needed.

Pet in Disaster Work in Vancouver

In May of 2006, eight months following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Pets in Disaster Committee was formed by CAAT to work on development of a Pet Disaster Plan.   The Pets in Disaster Committee, headed by CAAT members, Dr. Ben Weinberger and Norma Buchan, RAHT, has been working with the City of Vancouver’s Emergency Social Services Pet Services Group to draft a plan for the inclusion of domestic pets into the city’s emergency plan, including evacuation and sheltering plans.

CAAT’s Pets in Disaster Committee and the Vancouver Pet Services Group have worked together to obtain financing for a shipping container full of emergency supplies, medical supplies, food, water and kennels for emergency use.  In partnership with the City of Vancouver LIcensing department, they developed “Rex in the City”, a disaster supply check list that is sent out with each years dog license renewal.

Work is ongoing, on producing a handbook for the city for pet emergency preparedness.

In the event of an emergency or a disaster, there will be a need for volunteers consisting of trained veterinary professionals, as well as trained non-professionals. The Pets in Disaster Committee is currently developing its volunteer database and the organizational infrastructure necessary to be able to respond rapidly to future disasters.   CAAT’s membership is part of that database.   There is always a need for volunteers in the Vancouver area to assist with this initiative, if you are interested, please contact us and we will direct you to the committee chair.

Ontario Disaster Plan

The Ontario Chapter Coordinators, Chris Robinson and Annette Pecak, met with the PWGAE (Provincial Working Group for Animals in Emergencies) in early 2009 and formed a collaboration with this group to be sure that interested members of CAAT are on the frontline for disaster preparedness and disaster relief work for Ontario communities.  If you are interested in being involved in this work, email caat.ontario@gmail.com.