As a dealer, exhibitor, research facility, intermediate 

handler, animal transporter, or other entity regulated 

under the Animal Welfare Act, you are required to make a 

contingency plan. This plan describes what you will do to 

safeguard your animals during emergencies or disasters. 

Use this tech note to help guide the development of your 

contingency plan.

Contingency Plan Basics 

	 There is no one-size-fits-all contingency plan. You’ll

need to create a plan that addresses your facility’s

unique needs in different emergencies.

	 Your contingency plan should cover all animals in your

main facility and all holding facilities, including alternate 

locations you may use during an evacuation. 

 Any licensee or registrant who transports animals 

or works as an intermediate handler must also develop 

a contingency plan for emergencies that can occur 

during the transport process or while temporarily 

holding animals. 

	 Your employees should be aware of your facility’s

contingency plan and trained to carry out their 

designated roles and responsibilities.

	 You must review your plan and document any updates

at least annually. If you experience personnel changes 

or other changes, you should review your plan more 

often to keep it up to date.

What To Consider When Planning 

for Contingencies

Your contingency plan must address four things: when

you will activate your plan, what actions you will take, 

who is responsible for taking those actions, and how you 

will accomplish them. Use the information below to guide 

your contingency planning.

When Will You Activate Your Plan?

Emergencies are not limited to natural disasters. They can 

also include local events such as a fire, power outage,

illness or death of key personnel, or other unexpected 

situation that interrupts normal animal care activities. 

Carefully consider and document the types of emergencies 

that could affect your area or your facility. Some possible

emergencies include:

	 Wildfires, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, or

avalanches 

	 Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, ice storms,

or extreme heat and humidity 

 Power outages; faulty wiring, heating, ventilation, or air 

conditioning systems in buildings or transport vehicles; 

or building fires

 Water or feed supply disruptions

 Road closures that impact access to your facility or limit 

animal transport, or hazardous materials situations

 Human or animal disease outbreak

 Intentional attacks on your facility, animals, or 

personnel 

 Animal escape

What Actions Will You Take? 

Your contingency plan must document the actions you’ll

take in response to the emergency situations that could 

affect your operation. For example, in some situations, 

you may need to evacuate your animals and employees. 

In other circumstances, you may decide that sheltering in 

place is the safest option. Use the information on the next 

page to consider what you might do in each situation.

Development Guide: Contingency Plans for Emergencies

Animal Care Tech Note
Sheltering in Place 

If you must shelter in place, consider how you will:

 Access veterinary care

 Feed, water, and clean all animals

	 Provide food, water, and housing for staff

 Maintain adequate environmental conditions

(e.g., temperature, ventilation, lighting)

 Temporarily identify animals in the event of an escape

 Keep records accessible 

Evacuating 

If you must evacuate, you’ll need to decide not only where

you will relocate animals, but also how you will:

 Transport animals, including types and quantities 

of vehicle(s), equipment, and crates needed

 Care for animals during transport and at the alternate

location(s) (e.g., food, water, cleaning)

 Access veterinary care

 Ensure adequate environmental conditions during

transport and at alternate location(s)

	 Care for staff during transport and at alternate location(s)

 Temporarily identify animals in the event of an escape

 Move records to the alternate location(s)

Animal Escapes 

As you think through different scenarios, consider how you 

will prevent and respond to potential animal escapes during 

an emergency, which can become their own emergency. 

Facilities with dangerous animals should contact local 

public safety and emergency management officials to 

discuss and document plans regarding animal darting, use 

of secondary barriers, human and animal safety protocols, 

and capturing escaped animals.

Who Will Be Responsible for Taking Specific Actions? 

In an emergency, it’s critical that you and your staff know

your roles and responsibilities. By assigning tasks to staff 

as part of the contingency planning process and establishing 

clear authority and lines of communication, you can 

streamline your response during an emergency.

 Determine who has the authority to make key decisions.

 Identify who is responsible for each task listed in your

plan. Assign tasks to positions rather than people to 

ensure your plan remains accurate if staff change.

 Develop a contact list, distribute it to everyone involved

in the plan, and keep it up to date.

	 Decide which methods you’ll use to maintain

communication in an emergency.

 Make sure everyone is properly trained in their

responsibilities, knows where to find everything they

will need, and understands how to use it.

	 If staff change or roles within your staff change, make

sure everyone is notified.

How Will You Carry Out Your Plan? 

As you develop your contingency plan, consider:

	 What equipment, materials, and means you’ll need

to carry out the actions in your plan 

	 How you’ll obtain equipment during an emergency

if it’s not on hand

	 Whether staff must be certified or receive specialized

training to use the equipment 

Also, if you plan to house animals at another facility, make 

sure the facility is willing and able to receive your animals. 

Putting It All Together 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has an optional 

form (APHIS Form 7093) that you can download and use 

when developing and documenting your contingency plan. 

APHIS’Animal Care inspectors are also available to help you

develop or review plans, as needed.

For More Information 

You can find information about contingency planning in the

following sections of the Animal Welfare Act (9 CFR Part 2):

Subpart C, § 2.38(i)(4); Subpart H, § 2.102(a)(4) and (b)(3);

and Subpart I, § 2.134. Go to ecfr.gov and search “9 CFR 2.”

For information on the contingency planning rule, visit 

www.aphis.usda.gov and search “contingency planning rule.”

To contact APHIS’Animal Care program, call (970) 494-7478

or email animalcare@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-welfare AC-22-005B ▪ Revised March 2022