MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s first ever mass public first aid and CPR class for people and animals in disasters took place in Mexico City on Sept. 18. The event saw hundreds of residents attend at the Monument to the Revolution, as part of events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1985 earthquake that struck the coast of Michoacán and heavily damaged Mexico City just 200 miles away, destroying thousands of buildings and leaving tens of thousands of citizens dead or injured.
Coordinated by the Secretariat of Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection of Mexico City (SGIRPC-CDMX), the purpose of the training was to build greater preparedness to reduce casualties and fatalities in earthquakes and other disasters. Mexico City residents learned practical, life-saving skills in first aid and CPR resuscitation for people, as well as instruction on how to help injured animals and get pets to safety. Representatives of Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International), which rescues and provides veterinary care for animals in disasters in Mexico and around the world, demonstrated how to treat an animal’s wounds, perform the Heimlich maneuver and prepare an emergency backpack kit for pets.
Felipe Márquez, disaster response program manager for Latin America at Humane World for Animals, who led the animal first aid training, said: "Disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes don’t just impact people, they also affect the animals with whom we share our lives. By being better prepared before disaster strikes, people can not only protect themselves from harm, but also protect their beloved animals. Our animal companions are part of our family, so we were very pleased to be invited by the Mexico City authorities to help the city include animals when preparing people for emergencies. This is a welcome and progressive step forward in disaster management that could save lives and keep people and their animals together in times of greatest need."
Humane World for Animals responds to disasters around the world to assist animals and communities in need. Most recently in June this year, team members deployed to Oaxaca, Mexico to help animals and their people impacted by Hurricane Erick; in 2023 and 2024, Humane World for Animals assisted in Mexico’s central Guerrero State after Hurricanes Otis and John. Globally, the team has stepped in to provide emergency treatment to animals affected by volcanic eruptions in Guatemala; deadly earthquakes in Nepal, Ecuador, Mexico and Türkiye; hurricanes, flash floods and cyclones in India, Haiti and Mozambique; and wildfires in Australia and Chile; as well as helping refugees and their pets fleeing the war in Ukraine.