Animals in Emergencies 

Your household plan must cover every member of your household — and that includes your animals. Pets, horses, and livestock cannot survive without you, and after a major event you may not be able to reach them for hours or days. Plan for them in advance. If it is not safe for you to remain at home, it is not safe for them either. 

This page covers what to plan for in Hāwea specifically. For the standard NZ guidance, work through the SPCA pet emergency checklist and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) materials linked at the foot of the page. 

Three steps to take now 

1. Make a written plan that includes your animals — where they will go, who will care for them, and what supplies they need. 

2. Prepare a get-away kit for each animal — portable, lightweight, kept where you can grab it quickly. 

3. Keep at least two weeks of food, water, and any medication for your animals in your home supplies. Two weeks is the household target across the rest of this site, and it applies to your animals as well. 

Make sure your animals can be identified 

After the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, microchipped pets were reunited with their owners at much higher rates than those without. The same will apply here. 

• Microchip your dogs, cats, and horses. Register them on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) at animalregister.co.nz and keep your details current. 

• Add an out-of-region contact to the microchip record — someone outside Otago who can be reached if local phones are down. 

• Put an ID tag on every collar with your name, your phone number, and your address. 

• For horses, tag the halter, lead, and cover. 

• For livestock, keep your NAIT details up to date. 

• Keep a current photo of each animal — and a photo of you with each animal — saved online (email, Google Drive, Dropbox) so you can prove ownership if you are separated. 

Arrange a neighbour or friend who can reach your animals 

Many Hāwea households have at least one adult working in Wānaka or Cromwell during the day. After a major earthquake the bridges may be impassable and you may not get home for some time. Your animals cannot wait. 

Before an event, arrange with a trusted neighbour or nearby friend to check on your animals if you cannot get home. They will need: 

• Comfort with your animals and knowledge of their routine 

• Knowledge of where your home and get-away kits are stored 

• Access to your house — a key, or knowledge of where one is hidden 

• Knowledge of any medications and feeding requirements 

• An agreement on what to do if your home is damaged or unsafe 

Return the favour for them. This is the kind of arrangement neighbourhood groups exist to make easier — see the Neighbourhood Groups page. 

Animal get-away kit 

A portable kit you can grab if you have to leave the property quickly. Keep it near the door with the human get-away kit. For each animal, include: 

• Food (sealed, two weeks if practical) and a can opener if needed 

• Water and a bowl 

• A lead, harness, or carrier — sized so the animal can stand and turn around 

• Bedding or a familiar item that smells of home 

• Medications, with copies of prescriptions 

• Vaccination and microchip records 

• Photo of you with the animal 

• Vet contact details (see below) 

• For cats: litter and a tray 

• For horses: halter, lead rope, cover, and a way to transport (float, truck, or arrangement with someone who has one) 

• A note with the animal's name, your name, your phone number, and any medical needs — attached to the carrier or halter 

Replace food and water every six months and check medications for expiry. 

If you must evacuate 

Take your animals with you. If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for them. 

Public emergency shelters generally do not accept pets, so identify in advance where you can go with your animals — friends or family outside the immediate area, pet-friendly accommodation, kennels, or catteries. Have phone numbers and addresses written on paper, not just stored in your phone. 

If you have no choice but to leave an animal behind temporarily: 

• Leave them inside the house, not tied up outside 

• Provide several days' food and water in heavy bowls that won't tip 

• Leave a clear note on the front door for emergency services stating that animals are inside, what kind, and your contact details 

• Return for them as soon as it is safe 

Never leave an animal chained or tied up where they cannot reach food, water, or shelter. 

Horses, livestock, and lifestyle blocks 

Many properties around Hāwea Flat run horses, sheep, alpacas, or small herds. Larger animals need their own plan. 

Before an event: 

• Identify which paddocks are safest in different scenarios — clear of large trees, away from stockyards or sheds that could collapse, away from fences that may go down, with reliable water and shelter. 

• Know how you would move animals if a paddock becomes unusable, and where you would move them to. 

• For horses, have a halter and lead readily accessible. Confirm in advance who in the area has a float and might be able to help. 

• Keep at least two weeks of feed and water access on the property. - Keep your NAIT records up to date for cattle, deer, and other registered livestock. 

After a major earthquake: 

• Check fences before checking animals. Animals are usually fine but fences may have come down across roads or boundaries. 

• Walk paddocks for new hazards — fallen trees, broken glass, displaced building materials, downed power lines. 

• Check water troughs are still working. Power outages will stop electric pumps; shallow troughs may have emptied during shaking. 

Detailed guidance for lifestyle properties is on the MPI website (linked at the foot of the page). 

Local veterinary contacts 

The closest vet clinics to Hāwea are in Wānaka. Save these numbers in your phone and write them on paper in your get-away kit. 

• VetEnt Aspiring (Wānaka) — 03 443 7262 — mixed practice, 24/7 in-clinic emergency cover 

• Vetlife Wanaka — mixed practice with after-hours emergency cover 

• Central Lakes Equine — 027 240 5789 (24/7 equine emergency) 

After a major event the road into Wānaka may be closed, and clinics may be operating in reduced capacity. Vets coordinate with the Ministry for Primary Industries during a declared emergency through the New Zealand Veterinary Association. 

Lost and found animals 

In an earthquake, animals may panic and run. Familiar landmarks may be gone, and even pets that have never strayed before can become disoriented and lost. 

The Hāwea Tennis Courts at 79 Capell Avenue, Lake Hāwea will be used as the holding location for lost animals during a major event. Animals found in the community can be brought there so owners can collect them. 

Before and during an event, owners can register their animals on the Hāwea CRG Animal Management system at pets.haweacrg.nz so found animals can be matched to owners more quickly. 

If your animal goes missing after an event: 

• Check the tennis courts 

• Post on Hawea community Facebook groups once communications when phone networks are working again

• Contact local vets — animals are sometimes brought to clinics 

• Use the Pet Detective service at animalregister.co.nz/lost (run by the operators of NZCAR) 

When you bring animals home 

A familiar property can be a strange place to an animal after an earthquake. Smells will be different, doors and fences may have moved, and aftershocks will keep things unsettled. 

For the first few days: 

• Keep dogs on a lead even in the yard until you've checked fences 

• Keep cats inside with a litter tray — they will often try to leave a damaged house 

• Watch for cuts or injuries from broken glass and fallen debris 

• Don't let any animal drink from puddles, the lake edge, or open water — contamination is a real risk after major events 

• Check water and food for contamination before giving it to animals 

• Be patient. Animals show stress differently — some hide, some become clingy, some lose appetite. This usually settles within days.

More information 

• SPCA — Animals in emergencies

• SPCA Pets in Emergencies planning checklist (PDF): 

• MPI — Preparing animals for emergencies:

• MPI — Lifestyle block animals in emergencies (with downloadable plan templates and fact sheets for horses, pets, livestock, lifestyle blocks) 

• Get Ready — Plan for your pets and other animals

• New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR)

Last reviewed: May 2026.