MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Every year on September 19, Mexico conducts a nationwide emergency drill to strengthen disaster preparedness and promote a culture of prevention. Thanks to a pioneering collaboration between animal protection organization Humane World for Animals and Mexico City’s Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection , this year’s drill included an animal-inclusive evacuation exercise at the Infonavit Iztacalco housing in the Iztacalco Borough.
The exercise involved families who had previously received training on animal handling, identification, and evacuation procedures. Participants safely evacuated their residential units alongside their animals, demonstrating how preparedness measures can help protect both people and animals during emergencies.
As part of the exercise, Humane World for Animals distributed emergency go-bags for animals to participants. The kits included leashes, wet food, toys, and other basic supplies designed to support the safety and well-being of animals during an emergency.
Held annually in remembrance of the devastating earthquakes of 1985 and 2017, the exercise encourages government agencies, businesses, schools, and communities to test emergency plans and evacuation procedures. And this year, it has offered an opportunity to advance more inclusive preparedness measures, recognizing that effective disaster planning should account for the safety and well-being of both people and animals.
Felipe Márquez, disaster response program manager for Latin America at Humane World for Animals says: “The National Drill is an event of great significance not only in Mexico City, but across the entire country. It is extremely important that we include animals in these preparedness activities, and it will make a world of difference as we confront future challenges in disaster planning and response. We saw tremendous interest and an encouraging degree of engagement from members of the community and from government representatives who participated in this first national-scale exercise focused on animal-inclusive evacuation.”
Through its collaboration agreement with Mexico City’s Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection, Humane World for Animals has provided training to staff from the Mexico City Housing Institute (Instituto de Vivienda de la Ciudad de México), as well as public officials from local borough governments, emergency response agencies, and members of the armed forces, among others.
Humane World for Animals provides disaster response and risk reduction support in Mexico and other nations around the world to assist animals and affected communities. In June 2025, the team deployed to Oaxaca, Mexico, to support people and animals impacted by Hurricane Erick; in 2023 and 2024, the organization responded to emergencies in the state of Guerrero following Hurricanes Otis and John. Humane World for Animals has also supported animals affected by volcanic eruptions in Guatemala; earthquakes in Colombia, Venezuela, Nepal, Ecuador, Mexico, and Turkey; severe storms in India, Haiti, Costa Rica, South Africa, Mozambique, and the United States; wildfires in Australia and Chile; as well as in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine. In addition to emergency response, the organization continuously invests in preparedness, mitigation, and long-term recovery efforts aimed at strengthening and empowering communities before disasters occur.
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