Hurricane Katrina Overview

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast area of the United States in one of the worst natural disasters in American History.  The southern regions of Mississippi and Louisiana sustained massive damage and significant loss of life.  Both companion animals and livestock have suffered greatly along with people.  In addition, the animal health and welfare infrastructure in those areas is severely compromised.  Animal relief efforts include mobilization of animal health and welfare resources from around the country to assist across a wide area as well as relief efforts in many communities around the country that are receiving evacuees, many with their pets.  Colorado is one of those communities receiving both people and animals.  In addition, Colorado resources are being mobilized to assist in animal relief and recovery efforts.

Hurricane Rita Overview

Hurricane Rita is approaching the Texas-Louisiana border and will likely cause significant damage.  Colorado has been in communication with those states and is able to provide resources on request to those states.

How can I help?

Veterinary professionals:

• The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) is looking for volunteers (veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants, veterinary students) to assist in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts and in future natural and animal disease emergencies. Please send an email to EmergencyVMO@aphis.usda.gov with the subject line "New NAHERC Volunteer" for more information on how you can get involved.
• In addition, veterinary professionals may fill out the individual resource form concerning emergency response capacity and availability.
• Veterinary professionals can assist the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation in securing critical financial resources to support the Colorado response by accepting donations at their practice.  For more information, call  CVMF at 303.318.0447.

Animal control and shelter personnel:

• Animal control, animal sheltering, and animal health professionals who may be available for response to Hurricane Katrina and future disasters are asked to fill out the individual resource form and return it to Colorado SART.  Please also include a description of your availability.
• Animal care and sheltering professionals who are government employees may be eligible for deployment with pay under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Animal Welfare Organizations:

• All Colorado animal welfare organizations are requested to fill out the organizational resource form downloadable from this page.  Please inlcude a description of what resources may be availble for out-of-state deployment.

Volunteers:

• Our of state deployment of volunteers who do not have extensive animal control, health, or sheltering experience is not recommended. 
• There are potential support roles within Colorado that can use your assistance.  Supporting SART resource coordination efforts, helping with CVMF Animal Emergency Relief Fund development efforts, assisting at the SART office and helping support agencies receiving animals from the affected areas will be critical.   Please fill out a individual resource form and return it to SART.

Downloads:

Individual Resource Form

Organizational Resource Form

For the past two years, Colorado SART has been working to develop County Animal Response Teams and to support a statewide emergency partnership.  We need your support and participation in this ongoing and essential effort to make Colorado prepared to address:

Any animal

Any disaster

Anywhere in Colorado!

Colorado SART relies on a combination of governmental grants, foundation support, service contracts, corporate sponsorships and individual donations.  Your support is critical to continuing and expanding our development of a statewide animal emergency network!  Click here to see how you can support Colorado SART in preparing our state to protect animals in emergencies.

What do we need?

At this time, the most valuable donation people can make to help is through monetary donations.  Please do not bring pet food or supplies intended for the disaster area to local shelters unless specifically requested.  

If you feel that you have critical in-kind services, equipment, or supplies to donate in bulk, please contact Colorado SART at 303.539.7633

The Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation and Colorado SART have established a statewide fund to support animal relief and recovery efforts in the Katrina, Rita and other disasters.  In Colorado, our risks include wildfires, floods, tornadoes, blizzards, hazardous materials incidents, terrorism, large scale animal cruelty cases and other emergencies.

It is essential that we receive substantial public support to allow Colorado animal health and welfare organizations to provide support both to animals in the impacted areas and animals being evacuated to our state.

100% of all donations will be utilized to support relief and recovery actions related to animal health and welfare in disasters through grants in the affected areas and through direct Colorado response. Specifically, this means that no administrative fees are taken from the donation and the only CVMF retention will be for direct purchase of supplies and equipment and for time spent in response and recovery actions by CVMF personnel.

You can donate by sending your contribution to:

• CVMF Animal Relief Fund

789 Sherman Street, Suite 550

Denver, CO  80203

• Please make checks out to CVMF Animal Relief Fund

To expedite donations via credit card, please download a donation form and mail or fax the form to the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation.

You can also bring your donation to your local veterinary clinic which will forward all donations to CVMF.

*Due to logistical issues, only monetary donations can be accepted.*

Please click here to view a full description of the CVMF Animal Relief Fund.

Colorado SART is currently coordinating with the Colorado Division of Emergency Management and numerous state and local response agencies to support Operation Safe Haven. This operation brought flew in over 200 evacuees from the affected region to Colorado for safe housing. Many of these people have pets in hand that need assistance. Animals arriving in Denver from Operation Safe Haven are being housed temporarily at the Dumb Friends League in Denver after an initial health screening, identification, and any needed treatments. Animals will be cared for through SART and collaborating agencies until such time as the owners are placed in suitable housing with their pets or returned to their homes.

In addition, many people self-evacuated to Colorado from the gulf coast, many with their pets.  CVMF is working with the Colorado veterinary community to ensure that necessary veterinary care is available to these people.

Colorado SART has supervised two air-lifts of animals into Denver.  The first group were dogs from the Katrina Hurricane area that need sheltering while we search for their owners.  The second group were adoptable shelter animals from the Houston area being evacuated just ahead of Hurricane Rita.  Many agencies and individuals helped in these operations.  We will shortly be posting pictures and more details.

A team of 15 individuals will leave early Sunday for Houston, Texas to support a major Houston area shelter in their response to both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  More information will be posted soon.