Twenty-one years ago, Hurricane Katrina exposed the tragic consequences of leaving pets out of emergency planning, forever changing how we view the human-animal bond during crises.

 

This pivotal moment sparked a monumental shift in policy, starting with the federal PETS Act, and laid the groundwork for modern animal emergency management. But as severe weather incidents increase in frequency and intensity, how must our legal frameworks and operational response models adapt to meet the next generation of challenges?

 

Led by Susan Anderson, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Disaster Response, the session will demonstrate how pet-inclusive policy reduces human risk, streamlines local response, and builds true community resilience.

 

Participants will discover how to operationalize legislative mandates, integrate animal concerns into the Incident Command System (ICS), and leverage specialized resources, like CARTs, to ensure no member of the family is left behind.

 

Webinar Details:

🗓️ Tuesday, Aug 25, 2026

⏰ 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific Time

 

In our 60 minutes together, we'll cover:

 

✅The Legislative Journey: Trace the historical evolution of U.S. animal emergency policy from the post-Katrina PETS Act to contemporary state and local mandates.

✅Current Frameworks & Pitfalls: Evaluate how animal welfare responsibilities are legally structured today—whether formalized in community emergency plans, service contracts, or statutory law.

✅Operationalizing the Law: Learn actionable strategies to integrate County Animal Response Teams (CARTs) into Emergency Operations Center (EOC) structures to fulfill legislative intents.

✅Building Resilient Coalitions: Discover how to establish formal partnerships and MOUs with NGOs and regional networks to maximize surge capacity and resource allocation.

 

Presented by the ASPCA

Hosted by Cal CARTs

 

Register by emailing Media@CalCARTs.org