The leader of the ASPCA’s Disaster Response team shares insights into how disaster preparedness and response for domestic animals has changed since Hurricane Katrina and urges emergency managers, public health officials, and public safety agencies to consider animals in all phases of the emergency management cycle. The presentation includes examples of recent disaster response operations where collaboration among local, state and national groups was critical to saving lives.

What Will the Audience Learn:

Attendees will learn how the power of partnerships can increase disaster readiness and response capacity for states and communities, and leave the session with a better understanding of the importance of integrating animal concerns with human services. Pet owners should never have to choose between evacuating or keeping their animals.

Course Level: Intermediate

About the Presenter

Susan Anderson is the Director of Disaster Response for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). She joined the ASPCA in 2021 following a 25-year career in local government where she worked as a fire marshal and then animal control manager in Clark County, WA.

In addition to deploying for natural disasters and large-scale animal cruelty cases nationwide, Susan and the other members of the National Field Response team work to formalize partnerships with state agencies, counties, local humane organizations and animal control agencies ahead of disasters. These efforts support the organizational goal of developing a national animal disaster response network with enough resources in place to ensure that communities are prepared, and no domestic animals are abandoned during disasters. Susan is a member of the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC) and the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs (NASAAEP).