Animal Evac New Zealand is proud to announce the publication of the Model Animal Disaster Management Act and its companion Animal Disaster Protection Index (ADPI).

The launch of these tools is a pivotal step in making robust, animal‑inclusive disaster governance realistically achievable for governments around the world. Together, they provide something that has been missing from the global toolkit: a detailed, ready‑to‑adapt model law that can be lifted into national legislation, and a structured index that enables transparent, apples‑to‑apples comparison of how different countries are protecting animals across risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery and capacity development. This combination means jurisdictions are no longer starting from scratch; they can align with emerging international best practice, benchmark their progress, and identify clear legislative and policy gaps instead of relying on anecdote or fragmented provisions.

As author Dr Steve Glassey notes:

“This model act and index have been more than 15 years in the making, built entirely through the work of volunteers determined to close the gap between what we know about animals in disasters and what our laws actually require. It’s the first time governments have been given both a practical framework law and a comparative tool to measure how well they are really protecting animals when it matters most.”

Learn more at the PADL project page.

Download the Model Act at ResearchGate.

Contact the author, Dr Steve Glassey via Linkedin.