Summerland Review
Helping animals Local volunteers help after hurricane
Sep 15 2005

o Animal response volunteers providing aid in Mississippi

While there are many groups and organizations throughout the U.S. who are helping with the animal response effort following Hurricane Katrina, a Canadian group based out of Summerland is also lending a hand to this effort.

The group, known as the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART), formed after the fire storm in 2003.

Deborah Silk, a director and a founding member of CDART, says while the group officially formed in 2003, members of the team had been involved in the animal response effort sincethe Garnet fire in Penticton in the 90s. CDART is the emergency animal rescue division of Critteraid.

"The core group has been together since 1994," she adds.

Silk says currently they have three members who are in the affected areas where Katrina hit.

Two of the members are from Manitoba while the third volunteeris from B.C.

"Our volunteers have been working in a shadow capacity with United Animal Nations," she explains.

While the members are not helping with the animal search and rescue work, they are contributing in other ways through logistics, planning and operations which includes decontamination of animals and reunification.

It is unknown how long the volunteers will be there for.

Silk says there are other members from CDART expected to be making the trip down to help as well.

"We have a lot of volunteers wanting to go," she adds.

Currently the members are working in Mississippi with the animal response effort underway there.

Silk, who has been keeping in close contact with the CDART volunteers deployed in the Gulf Coast, says she is very proud of the work they are doing.

"Our volunteers are doing the work of 10 people," she notes.

Silk explains that many of the animals being brought in are suffering from dehydration.

She says in speaking with her fellow team members, they have noted that many of the animals, especially the cats and dogs, have been drinking the polluted water which is causing some serious gastro intestinal problems and skin problems.

The CDART group consists of members throughout B.C. with at least 12 from Summerland.

There are also members from Alberta and Winnipeg who belong to the team.

Silk notes that while CDART is still fairly new, they are beginning to have more and more people joining the group.

"We are starting to grow."

Silk says outside of disaster efforts such as Hurricane Katrina, CDART is involved in training sessions for the Emergency Social Services Association.

She notes that the group hopes that by teaching other communities about animal response methods that it will better prepare them if a disaster or situation should arise.

For more information about CDART and how to become a volunteer member please call Critteraid at 493-9752 or 494-5057.

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