Lifestyle block animals in emergencies

COVID-19 on your lifestyle block

It’s important you have a plan to ensure your lifestyle block can continue to operate if you, a family member, or a support person to your block contracts COVID-19.

The sector and MPI have developed a detailed checklist to help you create a plan in the event you are required to leave your property and are unable to look after your animals or land. The detail contained in your plan is unique to your own property and circumstances to allow family, friends or neighbours to come in and tend to the immediate needs of your livestock.

On-farm checklist for farmers – Federated Farmers of NZ

Prepare to keep your animals safe in emergencies

Information on this page and in our checklist will help make sure your lifestyle block animals are safe when there is an emergency. Animals on a lifestyle block may include dogs, birds and poultry, cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep.

Checklist: Protect your animals in an emergency [PDF, 331 KB]

Identify your animals

Make sure your animals can be identified in case you are separated.

Using ID tags and microchips

Add an ID tag to your pet’s collar. Put as much information on the tag that will fit – your pet's name, your name, phone number, and your address. For large animals, like horses, add a tag to their halter, lead, or cover.
Make sure your pets and horses are microchipped and registered.
Dogs should be wearing their current registration tag.
On relevant microchip databases, keep the information about you and the animal up to date. Include next of kin or someone outside your household.
For livestock, ensure your National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) programme details are up to date.

NAIT register

NZ Companion Animal Register

EXTRA ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Store a current photograph of your pets and horses in a waterproof container

Include notes on any distinguishing features, name, sex, age, colour, and breed. Also include a photograph of you and your animals together to help prove ownership if you get separated.

Save information online

Store important information – microchip details, photographs, medical, veterinary, and contacts – online. For example, you could store it on Dropbox, a mobile phone, or an email account.

Plan for all types of emergency situations

Fire: Plan how you will get your animals away from the fire zone and where you will go.
Earthquake: Arrange who will check on your animals after an earthquake.
Extreme weather: Know what to do if there's a storm coming or plan for dry conditions or droughts.
Volcanic eruption: Consider how far away you need to get and where you will go.
Floods and tsunamis: Decide how you and your animals will get to higher ground.

If you're at home

Have an animal home emergency kit to survive for 3 days unassisted.
Be prepared to have no water, power, or communications.
Check on your neighbours and their animals.
Be prepared to evacuate.
Keep pets indoors to prevent them fleeing.

If you can't get home

Pre-arrange for someone to check on your animals.
Let them know where your emergency kit is stored.
Make sure they have house or property access.
Have a plan to communicate with them after the emergency event.

If you have to evacuate

Beforehand, identify places where you can take your animals (such as neighbours, family, friends, or pet-friendly hotels or accommodation).
Make sure safe areas are fenced, have a water supply, short pasture, and protection from hazardous elements.
Identify temporary accommodation for your animal if they can't stay with you (such as a cattery or kennel).
Take an animal getaway emergency kit.
Have a way of moving and holding your animals while away from home, for example, a crate, cage, float, truck, trailer, or mobile fence.
Know where to leave them in a safe place on your property if you can't evacuate your animals quickly.

If it's not safe for you – it's not safe for your animals.

Prepare emergency kits for you and your animals

Check the kits regularly and keep them within easy reach. You might use the kits if help is not readily available, or before you can get to a veterinary clinic.

Have copies and backups of necessary documents and records.

You need 3 kits

Home emergency kit with enough supplies for 3 days.
Getaway emergency kit with supplies for moving yourself and your animals.
Animal first aid kit – put first aid supplies for your animals with your own kit.

First aid kit for animals checklist [PDF, 283 KB]

Who to call for help

You should call 111 if:

someone's in danger
someone's having chest pain, breathing difficulties or is seriously ill or injured
there's a fire or serious risk to property
a crime is being committed and the offenders are still there or have just left
you've come across a major public inconvenience, like trees blocking a road.

The operator will connect you to the right service – Police, Fire or Ambulance.

For injured or lost pets

If an animal is injured, or you have lost or found a pet, contact your nearest veterinary clinic.

For lost and found pets, you could also:

post a notice on www.lostpet.co.nz
phone 0800 LOSTPET (0800 56 78 73).

Other groups that can help

You local civil defence group can help with:

general advice and assistance
finding a safe shelter place (animal shelters, saleyards, or showgrounds)
animal rescue enquires.

Federated Farmers may be able to provide advice if you need assistance with evacuating your livestock and finding a safe shelter place to contain them:

Federated Farmers

If you need help to reinstate fencing, contact your local civil defence group, Federated Farmers, or the Rural Support Trust:

Rural Support Trust

Find your local civil defence group – National Emergency Management Agency