(A333) The Potential use of Social Media in Animal Emergency Response

Abstract

Social networking has been utilized for information sharing and communication since the beginning of time. Current communication technology allows for rapid information sharing across social networks through the increased utilization of social media—Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc. Social media tools have been used increasingly in recent emergency response efforts including the response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the BP oil spill in the US Gulf Coast. Veterinarians have been engaged in emergency preparedness and response activities for many years. The American Veterinary Medical Association founded in 1863 and representing approximately 83% of United States veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, established by the AVMA in 1963, have been active in emergency preparedness and response including the development of a world class veterinary disaster response program (VMAT) since 1993. Animals and humans share a special bond in the United States. According to the 2007 AVMA U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook there are 72 million dogs, 81.7 million cats, 11.2 million birds and 7.3 million horses in U.S. households. Approximately 60 percent of all U.S. households own at least one pet and 64 percent own more than one pet. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 thousands of animals received veterinary medical care at the Lamar Dixon Animal Shelter in Baton Rouge, LA. Social networking was utilized by responders to obtain supplies yet current social media capabilities were not utilized to enhance veterinary medical response and care at the largest disaster animal shelter in US history. Several challenges (volunteer management, lack of veterinary supplies, and referral of critical veterinary patients etc.) in veterinary disaster response could be met through utilization of targeted social media messaging. Social media has the potential to enhance the efficiency and quality of disaster veterinary medical response now and into the future.