01.27.05
Raleigh, N.C. ? The State Animal Response Team (SART) announced today that the organization received a $40,000 grant from PETsMART Charities. SART will offer interested states the opportunity to apply for two matching grants of $20,000 each in order to develop two new state emergency response programs using the SART model.
Started in North Carolina following the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the State Animal Response Team?s (SART) model is based on public-private partnering that integrates government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, the private sector and thousands of volunteers to build and support state and local networks of resources. SART's mission is to provide prevention, response, and recovery for animal emergencies during natural or man-made disasters. SART is the national leader in the implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS) developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as a means for managing animal emergencies on a state and local level.
SART is organized on the grassroots level with County Animal Response Teams (CARTs). CARTs are under the jurisdiction of the county Emergency Management Coordinator and include animal control officers, cooperative extension professionals, sheriff's personnel, veterinarians, animal industry leaders and concerned citizens. SART/CARTs work year round to develop and implement procedures and train volunteers to facilitate a safe, environmentally sound and efficient response to animal emergencies on the local, county and state level.
In 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded a Cooperative Agreement with SART to develop state and county animal response teams on a national scale based on the North Carolina model. This agreement acknowledged SART and the NC SART model as a preferred solution for mitigating and responding to animal disasters and disease.
PETsMART Charities was established in 1994 as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charity to save the lives of homeless pets. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for all companion animals. PETsMART Charities creates and supports programs that save lives of homeless pets and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. Moving toward their vision of a lifelong, loving home for EVERY pet, they fund programs to further individual animal welfare organizations' missions, facilitate adoptions through in-store programs, and raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues.
For more information or an application to apply for a state grant contact SART at infonc@sartusa.org, or call 1-888-989-SART. Applications are due by April 1, 2005.
