The deadly 2021 floods in Belgium exposed the lack of structural rescue systems to climate-induced disasters, including how to assist animals.
Two years ago, when heavy rain struck Belgium, causing deadly floods in the southern and eastern parts of the country, animals were also heavily affected. At the time, the data of dog and cat owners was made available to the emergency services in regions that were heavily affected by the floods to help them reunite animals that got lost with their owners.
A Facebook group was also created for the same purpose, with locals in the affected areas posting messages about lost animals of their own or animals they have found who appear to be lost.
Still, many animals died during the 2021 floods, and even more animals were lost. "That experience taught us that it is essential to be able to provide a practical solution in disasters," said the chair of the animal rights organisation GAIA, Michel Vandenbosch.
The lack of a structural response spurred the creation of the Animal Disaster Team (ADT), the first Belgian rescue team which will specifically help animals in distress across Belgium during disasters.
The team was presented in Namur’s Gembloux on Tuesday and is a joint initiative of three Belgian animal protection organisations: GAIA, UWPA (Union Wallonne pour la Protection Animale) and FéFRACAF (Fédération Francophone des Refuges Agréés pour Chevaux et Animaux de Ferme).
The team provides expertise to rescue services in the field and intervenes only at the request of the authorities. Specifically, the ADT can shelter and transport animals in distress to eventually return them to their owners or transfer them to shelters.
To do so, it has vehicles for animal transport, a rescue boat for interventions on water and even rescue equipment for horses and farm animals.
