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| K.Covey/The HSUS |
Giving comfort and assistance during
a disaster |
The HSUS Disaster Services program serves communities throughout the year with training, planning assistance and speakers to help develop local capabilities.
The HSUS National Disaster Animal Response Teams (NDART™) serve as resources for individuals, animal-related organizations, government agencies and others concerned about the urgent needs of animals before, during and after disasters.
The HSUS NDART™ responds on request to disasters of all kinds—natural or man made—that overwhelm the local resources. We also respond to large-scale animal seizures, hoarding cases and similar events where local authorities request help with animal rescue, handling and transport in a timely and humane way.
The Team
The HSUS Disaster Services program is directed and managed by a professional disaster response team (known as NDART-1) at The HSUS headquarters in the Washington, D.C., area. Experienced staff members in seven regional offices and numerous state program offices augment the NDART-1 team. We can mobilize fully self-contained resources to help local areas; we will not place a burden on the affected communities.
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| J.Eyre/The HSUS |
| Working with other organizations to save animals. |
Team expertise includes working with companion animals, horses and farm animals. Response services include:
• Assessment of animal-related needs
• Emergency search and rescue of animals (including humane trapping)
• Establishment and management of temporary emergency animal shelters
• Evacuation support
• Veterinary evaluation of animals
• Relocation and support of disaster-affected animal facilities
• Transition of support to local resources during the recovery phase
• Donations and volunteer management, including managing both pre-affiliated and emergent volunteers
• Emergency Operations Center support
The Equipment
The HSUS has a modern, well-equipped fleet of self-sufficient response vehicles, including a command center with satellite communication, mobile animal shelters and climate-controlled transport trailers, veterinary equipment, boats, all-terrain vehicles and support vehicles—all stocked with appropriate animal handling gear and supplies.
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| K.Covey/The HSUS |
| Providing the appropriate care in any situation. |
The vehicles can house several HSUS NDART™ members and carry humane handling, trapping and sheltering equipment for large and small animals; safety and rescue gear; and communications equipment, including Internet access, telephones, radios and a cross-band repeater to support interoperability between radio systems. The vehicles also stock sufficient food, fuel and water to accomplish the first 72 hours of any mission.
Working with Local Authorities
The HSUS has an outstanding reputation of working within existing emergency management and response systems, as well as with a variety of government and voluntary organizations. We always coordinate control of response resources with local authorities and make every effort to transition smoothly from response assistance to support of local recovery efforts.
