This has been a quiet year from the standpoint of hurricanes in the Southeast and East (especially thankful for those in the Gulf states) but an active one from a wildfire standpoint in the Western US. The dreaded pandemic threats associated with "bird flu" didn't arrive (yet).  So one could ask what we are doing to keep busy!

The opportunity to work with states to bring them into the SART tent, provided to us by PETSMART Charities, has kept us quite busy. As reported earlier, NC SART has been awarded funds to be used to match equal funding amounts from states in the development of a SART program for that state. The PETSMART Charities award enables us top add up to five states each year, for a total of five years! Added to the initial SART states and the two that were added with the first PETSMART Charities grant, we will have over 35 states onboard by 2010. This year we awarded matching grants to Maryland, Virginia and Michigan. In addition, due to the disasters of 2005, PETSMART Charities funded the whole cost of starting SART's in Louisiana and Mississippi. We have completed Mississippi and Maryland, and are scheduled to do Virginia, Louisiana and Michigan soon. In addition, there are 10-12 more states in the "wings" and in various stages of development. We also were able to help Texas and Kentucky in their planning efforts although they were not part of the matching grant program.

Another program area that we feel allows us to better serve all animals is the "Business Continuity" process that has been developed by Drs. Jimmy Tickel and Karen Jordan here in North Carolina. By doing planning sessions with commercial livestock producers based on what it takes to allow them to resume business operations after a disaster, we feel that we are helping meet the critical needs of those people and their animals in a way that is not focused just on rescue and recovery. We are pleased that this was the topic of a special symposium associated with the Annual Meeting of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture held in Louisville, KY, in April.

We are also pleased to announce that many of our donors have provided funding to help pay for Co-location Animal Mobile Equipment Trailers (CAMET) for emergency evacuations.  The supporters for this effort include the Humane Society, the American Kennel Club, the NC Veterinary Medical Association, Schering-Plough, and the North Carolina Farm Bureau.  Please read ahead in the newsletter for more information on this exciting development!

Stay tuned for the next newsletter.  We will be announcing dates for Virginia and Michigan to become SART States in 2007!

We continue to have the privilege of being "housed" at the North Carolina Farm Bureau offices in Raleigh, and are grateful for that support.

Stay tuned and have a wonderful Holiday Season and New Year.

LEONARD BULL

Executive Director

NC SART

Several animal welfare organizations are awarding the State Animal Response Team, (SART) a total of $76,000 to help pay for several Co-location Animal Mobile Equipment Trailers (CAMET) to use during emergency evacuations. 

The Humane Society of the United States' disaster advisor, Ollie Davidson, presented a check for $50,000 today to Dr. Leonard Bull, executive director of SART at the State Emergency Operations Center.

In addition to HSUS, the American Kennel Club (AKC), the N.C. Veterinary Medical Association and Schering-Plough (a pharmaceutical company) donated funds to purchase five trailers, supporting equipment and 250 animal crates.  SART will donate the equipment to the Division of Emergency Management to use before, during and after emergencies such as hurricanes.

"No resident of North Carolina should have to choose between the well-being of their pets and their own safety," said State Emergency Management Director Doug Hoell.  "We are very pleased these groups have donated these funds so that pet owners can evacuate without hesitation, knowing their four-legged companions will be safely housed near them."

The mobile trailers will help establish co-located shelters, so that a family in need of shelter can check in with their companion animals and set up a schedule to provide care for the animal, including daily walks and feeding.  A companion animal is defined as a dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, bird, fish or reptile.   Poisonous animals are not allowed.

• Ample supply of food, either dry or canned (pop top or have a can opener).
• Enough water to last from three to seven days.
• Pet feeding dishes.
• Muzzle, collar and leash.
• Proper identification including immunization records.
• Current photos of your pets in case they become lost.
• Medical records (stored in a waterproof container) and a first aid kit.
• A two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires.
• Pet beds and toys, if easily transportable.
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum pans are perfect) for cats.
• Litter or paper toweling.   
• A pet traveling bag or sturdy carrier, ideally for each pet.
• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet).
• Proper fitting muzzle.

When June Gibbs first saw where stray animals were sent in Warren County, the so-called shelter was little more than a tin roof and a few cages next to the dump. The dump is where nearly all of the animals ended up after their death in a crude gas chamber.

That was four years ago. But starting this month, homeless dogs and cats in Warren County go to an airy, 4,000-square-foot Animal Ark - a name given to the shelter by the fourth-grade winner of a naming contest. The new shelter is the result of partnerships with the county, which paid $600,000, and the animal rights group Citizens for Animal Protection. That group, headed by Gibbs, sought donations of money, labor and materials from local businesses - everything from a generator to a granite name plate out front.

North Carolina's animal shelters are flooded with more than 250,000 animals every year, and the state also has the third-highest kill rate in the country. In Wake County last year, three-quarters of the cats brought to the county's animal shelter were euthanized, along with nearly half of the abandoned dogs.

In Warren County, the problem is even worse. Only six of more than 800 dogs were adopted. For years, Warren County's animal shelter was criticized for its treatment and care of unwanted pets. But, now their new state-of-the art facility is being touted as one of the best in the state. With a snip of the scissors on Thursday, Warren County opened its new haven for pets and unwanted animals. The Animal Ark, is a major step forward in comparison with where strays used to go. For decades, Warren County has used a facility at the county's landfill for stray or unwanted animals. The walls were made of tarp, the roof leaked, and there was no heating or air conditioning. New state and federal laws have ordered counties to improve animal care. Warren County is the first in the state to open a new facility that will also serve as a regional animal rescue center during severe storms.

"It is possible that animals that are evacuated from the coast could be brought to this facility inland," said Bill Gentry with UNC’s School of Public Health and NC SART.
Warren County isn't alone when it comes to pet population problems, especially during and after disasters. Warren County has discussed being available on a regional basis post-disaster to assist SART and NC Department of Agriculture with animal sheltering capacity.
 
The new shelter is a $600,000 hit to Warren County taxpayers, but has finished at nearly $95,000 under budget. Donors have equipped the shelters, and volunteers have worked tirelessly to make the animal shelter a reality. "I'm humbled by it, but I always look at it as a team work effort," said volunteer June Gibbs. "So it's a great day for the county and a great day for people who love pets and service animals," said Warren County Commissioner Luke Lucas. In attendance at the ribbon-cutting were representatives from NC Department of Agriculture, NC State Animal Response Team, American Red Cross, county officials from surrounding counties, state legislative representatives and Warren county elected officials.

Dr. Tickel was recognized for having been instrumental in establishing the collaborative efforts between NC Department of Agriculture and Emergency Management during and after Hurricane Floyd, during the Foot and Mouth Disease scare, and finally through the states Foreign Animal Disease Planning process. He has written most of the Department of Agriculture response plans, and always refers to Emergency Management as the lead and coordinating agency. He understands and utilizes the Incident Command System when responding in North Carolina, as well as nationally. Dr. Tickel is recognized nationally as an agricultural planner and trainer, and incorporates Emergency Management into all of his slides and plans. He teaches up at the National Training Center in Emittsburg, Md., as well as for the State Animal Response Team (SART), which he was instrumental in forming after Hurricane Floyd. He has been in almost every county of the state representing Agriculture or Emergency Management in planning meetings, trainings, or response efforts.

Dr. Tickel is the Central Region Veterinary Specialist with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Emergency Programs Division, and has over the last 7 years carefully crafted processes which blend veterinary medicine and emergency management systems into practical operations on the ground.  He is credited with having the vision and capacity to understand the need for pre-event and post event planning for an all hazards approach.

In addition to working with the Department of Agriculture and both public and private partners, Dr. Tickel has made valuable contributions to federal programs that have added benefit to many state programs simultaneously.  His ability to work interoperably with FEMA, State, and Local Emergency Management has given him unique insight into how planning processes affect all levels of preparedness, response and mitigation.

Even with Dr. Tickel’s tremendous knowledge and skills, he is a humble public employee and has great respect for all of the people who have provided him with their expertise and insight over the years.  His credibility with the citizens is due in large part to the common sense he meshes with the bureaucratic processes evolving during disasters.  In addition, he approaches an unfolding event with a calm and collected manner which is reassuring to those working with him.

Jimmy Tickle’s long history of coordination and support of Emergency Management programs makes him a deserving recipient of this award.

During cold weather, remember your pet’s Winter precautions as well!!

v   Secure all anti-freeze containers
v   Make sure of adequate shelter outside
v   Cold, damp weather aggravates arthritis
v   Fresh water, not frozen
v   Wash off salt or chemicals from sidewalks
v   Short coat animals may need a sweater

v   Adequate fresh food to metabolize for heat

Happy and Safe Holidays from SART!