No animal left behind

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the south-eastern United States bringing attention not only to the significant loss of human life, but the plight of hundreds of thousands of animals that were left behind. A key lesson from this disaster was that the needs of pets (companion animals) warranted inclusion into emergency evacuation plans, to reduce the motivation of humans failing to evacuate because they were unable to take their pets. This thesis is the culmination of research into whether those lessons have been effectively implemented and learned, with a special focus on New Zealand emergency management law and public policy. Numerous reports and peer reviewed articles are included and provide specific experiences to compare the effectiveness of animal-inclusive disaster arrangements in New Zealand and further afield.