This handbook features a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive text addressing human-animal interactions (HAIs) in the context of climate change, disasters, and other crises. The increasing frequency, scope, and magnitude of global extreme events affect humans and their animal co-inhabitants on our shared planet. HAIs provide various health, social, and cultural benefits, supporting human-centred disaster efforts. This book presents international professionals' leading ideas, debates, approaches, and promising efforts, providing a range of perspectives across the disaster cycle (preparedness, emergency response, reconstruction and recovery, and mitigation) associated with HAI-driven disaster research, practice, and policymaking. The knowledge, experience, and expertise from the Global South and North contribute to a nuanced understanding of disaster-specific HAIs, shedding light on enhancing human-animal welfare, promoting trans-species justice, and building resilience. Students, researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders can apply this expertise to enhance human-animal welfare and resilience associated with a changing climate and increased global extreme events.
Haorui Wu is the Canada Research Chair in Resilience and an associate professor in the School of Social Work, the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University, Canada. His community-based interdisciplinary efforts have nuancedly contributed to disaster-driven human and non-human settlement development through the lens of environmental, social, and health justice.
Kyle Breen is an assistant professor of sociology at Texas A&M International University, in Laredo, TX, USA. His research focuses on educational impacts post-disaster, disaster impacts to historically marginalized populations, and disaster volunteerism. Regarding animals in disasters, he has previously researched animal-related information dissemination following the 2023 Nova Scotia wildfires.
Sarah E. DeYoung is a core faculty member in the Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, USA, and a faculty member in the Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice. Her expertise is within the areas of vulnerable populations in disasters, evacuation decision-making, and public health in disasters.
Chapter "Working Equids in Disasters: Local Concerns and Inspirations" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
