Animal response team to hold Aug. 18 meeting
The Anderson County Emergency Management Agency Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) will meet Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Emergency Management Agency Office 111 S. Charles G. Sievers Bvd.
Anyone interested in volunteering on the DART team is welcome to come.
DART is a specialized group of emergency professionals and trained volunteers who rescue, shelter, and care for pets and livestock during emergencies.
Director Joseph Mead said the organization is always looking for volunteers.
“We’ve identified a need in the county and surrounding area to better be able to serve our citizens in times of disaster,” Mead said. “Standard emergency shelters for humans usually can’t accept pets due to health and safety regulations. In the past, this led to a heartbreaking dilemma: people would either refuse to evacuate, risking their lives to stay with their animals, or they would be forced to leave them behind to fend for themselves. The goal of DART is to lessen this risk by providing sheltering services for both domestic pets and eventually livestock.”
If you are interested in more information about volunteering with DART or any other aspect of Emergency Management reach out to the office by calling 865-264-6394.
