A new disaster management charity Animal Evac New Zealand...is running a course in Dunedin today...teaching volunteers about rescuing animals after a natural disaster.
Co-founder Steve Glassie says he was inspired to create the group after the Edgecumbe floods.
He says as head of the Wellington SPCA at the time, he was involved in rescuing over a thousand animals which had been left behind.
Glassie says on top of rescue, the organisation is about making sure owners and farmers have emergency plans for their animals - and providing temporary care.