New Year greetings from our team to you. This is the time when we traditionally take stock, reset, and make all kinds of resolutions and promises to ourselves about what we hope to accomplish in the coming year. The beginning of 2025 has brought serious challenges to many across the country. Mother Nature has pretty much given us all she's got.

Is this the year you’re going to learn how to become an Animal Disaster Responder? Or, if you are already a part of a volunteer organization consider adding new skills. Or, start an Animal Emergency Response Team for your community? Perhaps you just want to be better prepared to keep yourself, your animals and your family safer.

Now is the time to take the first steps!

In our January 2025 NewsNote, we’re providing the info you need to get going!

Here’s what you’ll find: 

• Ways to help the LA Wildfire Survivors
• How to become an animal disaster volunteer
• How to start a CART
• Steps to become a volunteer Animal Responder
• Training opportunities
• Plus, some great social media graphics you can share!

Taking advantage of any of these opportunities will improve your personal preparedness.

We will add information about more ways to help what will be a very long recovery for many animal owners and caregivers. Meanwhile, we hope our January NewsNote will inspire you and give you the tools you need to be better prepared personally and in your community.

We know many of you want to help those who have been hit hard by winter storms and wildfires. Yes, we just used both those terms in the same sentence.

We're sharing two links to organizations providing tremendous support at the national level and at a very local level.

There are some steps you may need to take in advance to learn how to become a volunteer to help animals during disasters. Learn more at these resource websites.

Find out if there is an animal disaster response team your area, and who/what agency is in charge of animal welfare during a disaster.

Get a head start by making sure YOU are personally prepared.

RESOURCES

FOR YOUR ANIMALS

HALTERproject.org

FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Ready.gov - Resolve to be Ready

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

Red Cross - How to Prepare for Emergencies

"It's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."

--Harry S. Truman

Collaboration, coordination, and communication are the keys to safe and efficient animal disaster response.

Things to consider when starting a Community Animal Response Team (CART).

Start by finding out who is responsible for animals during natural disasters in your county, region, or state. Contact your local animal control agency, humane society, or animal shelter.

Define Clear Needs and Goals:

Establish immediate and long-term roles and responsibilities for disaster response efforts.



Key Actions:

• Identify greatest needs and develop resources effectively.
• Determine the types of volunteer resources required.

Examples of Needs:

• Small animal sheltering, large animal sheltering, evacuation, transport, welfare checks for animals inside evac zones, long-term recovery needs.
• Documentation, communications, hotline operations.
• Interpreters
• Veterinary Care

Include mutual aid partnership development from the outset with experienced local and out-of-area resources. I.e. CARTs in neighboring counties, veterinarians, Sheriffs Posses, National Response Teams, and Agricultural resources.

For a complete list of steps to consider READ MORE

An Animal Disaster Servicer Worker (ADSW) is a volunteer who has training qualifications required by the area in which they would be activated to provide services to help animals during disasters.

Here's a quick reference guide with tips for becoming an Animal Disaster Service Worker.

Here are three social media checklist posts that you can download and share with your network.

As 2025 training and education opportunities are scheduled, we will do our best to keep you informed and up to date. Be proactive and connect with the resources in your area as well as those we have listed here.

TAKE ANY-TIME!! All Hazards Safety & Wildfire Safety ONLINE class—Fees waived for all volunteer responders for 2025!

This class is a yearly requirement for all CA Animal Disaster volunteers. It’s also required in some jurisdictions for agricultural and/or equestrian facility staff.



It’s open to anyone who wants to be safer and more aware of critical situations that are threats to human life and safety during and after natural disasters, as well as more frequent emergencies.

Learn more about the course and how to register at this link. Be sure to select your group or other affiliation. 

Training season is here! To be ready and able to volunteer to help in disasters, sign up for training NOW.



Find a California team to join here:

To qualify for potential deployment to disasters outside the area where you live, consider training with:

American Humane

RedRover 

Code 3 Associates

ASAR Training

Animal Decon

NVADG

Napa CART

AVMA American Veterinary Medical Association

CVET (California Veterinary Emergency Team)

CAVMRC (California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps)

AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners)

Other resources to check out may include your local or state cooperative extension service, Department of Agriculture, nearby veterinary schools, and the USDA.

To request or schedule a Large Animal Technical Rescue training, or find out about upcoming trainings in your area, check out these top instruction teams:

ResQFAST (California)

TLAER (North America)

ASAR Training and Response (National)

OHSTAR (Oregon)

WASART (Washington)

Code 3 Associates

Have a safe and Happy New Year from our team to yours!