Iowa City Animal Shelter launches emergency response team

IOWA CITY - Since 2007, the Iowa City area has seen numerous events that required a specialized response to animals in need: natural disasters, cases of hoarding and abandonment and crashes involving animals.

However, no specialized unit has existed to make sure the animals involved got the care they needed.

That's about to change.

The Iowa City Animal Center announced last week the formation of an Animal Response Team to respond to animal-related emergencies in Johnson County.

'This shelter, in particular, was impacted by the 2008 flood,” said Liz Ford, the shelter's supervisor. 'Since then, we have tried to just informally get together information and spread the word about disaster preparedness. We decided we really needed to take it to the next step.”

The Animal Response Team was formed by Ford and shelter volunteer Sara Bright, who has disaster response experience.

The team - the first of its kind in Johnson County - is being led by Ford and Bright with assistance from some 30 shelter volunteers. The team is looking for others who might like to volunteer.

In addition to big events, such as the 2008 flood and a hoarding incident in 2007 when dozens of dogs were seized from two rural Solon properties, the response team will be needed for smaller events, like when 62 ducks were found abandoned in a van in Iowa City last April, Ford said.

'There's situations that might not call for as many volunteers, but it's just a big deal, and we need extra hands,” Ford said. 'We need people who are trained, are responsible and can follow the chain of command.”

Bright said volunteers' duties include triaging animals, relocating them to a shelter or temporary location and providing daily care for the animals, depending on the situation. Having the team available allows city staffers and first responders to stick to their typical duties in an emergency, Bright said.

'We're trying to put everybody in a situation where you're able to use your strengths and your training,” she said. 'If we can have them do what they're trained to do and have more animal people come in, it's a better use of resources. Hopefully, it's a win-win for every tier of the first responder group.”

Anyone wishing to join the Animal Response Team must first become a shelter volunteer. Response team volunteers are to undergo additional training with Ford and Bright and view a Federal Emergency Management Agency webinar.

Ford said team members are to help educate animal owners about emergency preparedness.

'Their job is to educate and ... to talk to people about preparing your own animals and pets for emergencies and disasters,” Ford said. 'If a tornado hit your house, where would you go with your pets? Would you have their medical records?”

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Animal Response Team can contact Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Bragg at facfvolunteer@gmail.com or (319) 356-5295, extension 7.

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com