Project partners
Research_
Developing systems and capacities to protect animals in catastrophic fires
Producing processes to support communities in caring for animals in fires
A three-year study documenting Shoalhaven’s community-led care for animals during the Black Summer bushfires, creating tools and recommendations to embed animals into future disaster planning and policy.
This three-year research project examined how communities in the Shoalhaven Local Government Area (LGA) responded to the impacts of the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires on animals—companion, domesticated, farmed and wild—and how these experiences can inform future disaster planning. The project aimed to support more resilient and inclusive approaches to disaster preparedness, recognising that animals are vital members of many communities and that the loss or distress of animals during disasters causes profound trauma for humans as well.
The research addressed a significant gap in formal emergency systems: the near-total absence of structures to support animals and those who care for them during disasters. During the Black Summer fires, community members across Shoalhaven stepped up to fill these gaps—organising shelter, transport, medical care, and food for animals, often under extreme physical and emotional stress. Their actions, while extraordinary, were largely unrecognised by formal disaster agencies and lacked institutional support, funding, and coordination.
To understand and document these experiences, researchers from the Sydney Environment Institute undertook a multi-phased process. This included extensive desktop research, over sixty in-depth interviews with community members and professionals, and a series of trauma-informed community workshops. The project focused not only on what was done during the fires, but also on the structural barriers, emotional challenges, and community strengths that shaped these responses.
Findings highlighted that communities acted swiftly and compassionately to protect animals, often improvising systems of care and communication. However, efforts were hampered by poor infrastructure, a lack of accurate information, and policies that failed to consider animals as part of the emergency response. Many of these grassroots networks dissolved after the fires, and without documentation or institutional memory, future communities could be forced to start from scratch.
In response, the research team collaborated with the community to develop practical tools that reflect the lessons learned. These included guidance for collective emergency planning for animals, and recommendations to improve multispecies disaster preparedness. These outputs were grounded in the lived experience of Shoalhaven residents and are intended to support not just local action, but broader systemic reform—ensuring animals and their carers are included in future disaster planning at local, state and national levels.
The project’s legacy lies in how it reframes disaster preparedness to centre community knowledge, relationships, and care across species. It contributes both practical resources and a powerful argument for the recognition of animals in policy, planning, and emergency infrastructure. The findings were shared with participants and the wider public through a community event, where the research team presented key insights and expressed gratitude for the contributions and generosity of those who participated.
Contributors: Professor Danielle Celermajer, Dr Anna Sturman, Dr Blanche Verlie, Freya MacDonald, Professor David Schlosberg
This project is run in partnership with Shoalhaven City Council. The project is funded by a Bushfire Recovery Grant from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.