New York State Disaster Readiness

ASPCA Disaster Response Services is a proud member of the Empire State Animal Response Team (ESART). The Empire State Animal Response Team was created through a private-public partnership to serve as a unifying network of organizations, businesses, government agencies and individuals that support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies that affect animals.

ESART Goals

• To establish a state-wide communication and coordination system, thereby facilitating a rapid and effective response to any emergency affecting animals;
• To decrease health and safety threats to humans and animals;
• To minimize the economic impact of emergencies that affect animals;
• To prevent or decrease the spread of disease during emergencies affecting animals and;
• To minimize the loss or separation of animals from their owners.

Because disaster response begins and ends at the local level, ESART promotes and supports the creation of County Animal Response Teams (CARTs). The ability to provide rapid, professional assistance for animals can mean the difference between a successful response and a tragedy. ESART provides assistance to county emergency managers for CART development and coordination, as well as training opportunities for CART volunteers. CART volunteers are activated by their county emergency manager to provide the initial assessment and response for animals affected by a disaster or emergency within their jurisdictions. When these resources are overwhelmed, or when specialized resources are needed, the county emergency manager can call upon ESART to coordinate and deploy additional resources.

Training Opportunities for Volunteers

• Creating a County Animal Response Team (CART)
• Animal Care, Handling and Control
• Temporary Sheltering, Pet-Friendly Sheltering, and Transport Planning
• Small Animal Technical Rescue and Recovery
• Large Animal Technical Rescue and Recovery
• Ice Rescue
• Incident Command System
• Hazardous Material Awareness
• Zoonotic Disease Awareness and BioSecurity

For more information, visit the Empire SART website.