In the reactive and now outmoded perspective on disasters, with its emphasis on the immediate concerns of rescue and recovery, the incorporation of animal-inclusive planning and response, and the role of human services organisations, have both been under-emphasised. This presentation explores the conceptual synergies between social work theories and practice and the inclusion of animals in disaster management, and offers a conceptual rationale for extending an anthropocentric lens towards the inclusion of social practice and planning for whole-of-family disaster management.

Carole is a senior lecturer in social work at The University of Auckland with interests in mental health, stress, trauma, resilience, disasters and animal-inclusive practice. Her main conceptual focus is the importance of building intersectional and systemic understandings of human experience, especially when processes of resilience and adversity are at play.