Just over one year ago, my family navigated the end of life of our 10 year old dog. He was a beloved member of our family, and a daily source of joy and humor. Napa CART volunteers donate their time and service to preserve the human animal bond and ensure that animals affected by disaster have the best possible chance of reunification with their humans. Most of our team have animals at home that serve as a daily reminder of the important work they do and inspire them to make a difference. You too can have an impact locally in Napa by supporting Napa CART as we prepare for 2023.
Here is a glimpse into Napa CARTs activities over the past few months.
- Napa CART Leaders trained over 90 new and returning volunteers in January. The trainings were recorded and Napa CART welcomes new volunteers who wish to join the team and participate in our robust 2023 training line up.
- Napa CART joined numerous CARTs throughout the state at the third annual California CART Collective Summit in February. Dr. Sonder moderated the event, hosted by the CVET team at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The summit was well attended by animal response stakeholders in California, with the goal of standardizing training and bolstering mutual aid options for large scale disasters.
- Napa CART hosted a Hotline training in February to teach volunteers how to handle calls for service and track animals in Shelterly, a newly developed animal reunification management program. In addition, our volunteers become familiar with the SarTopo application, a mapping tool utilized to track animals and response teams in the field.
- Amidst the Atmospheric rivers, CART hosted a Dispatch & Communications training in March at the Napa Valley Horsemen’s Association Clubhouse. Napa County CERT Team Leaders guided the training and enhanced radio communications skills and organization of the mobile command trailer.
- In April, Napa CART as well as CERT and the COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) participated in two county Table Top exercises involving first responders to address the role of non-profit organizations in local response. This was an excellent opportunity to work together to respond to a 7.0 Earthquake scenario and plug in with joint command to
solve unmet needs. - At the end of April, Napa CART volunteers set up the livestock shelter at the Napa Valley Horsemen’s Association, and trained with the amazing Napa County Animal Shelter staff to
prepare for companion animal sheltering. These trainings bolstered their animal handling and assessment skills, with the added benefit of improving their knowledge base for their animals at home. - Napa CART has begun a robust line up of county outreach events to share preparedness tips and resources for animals. Napa County will be hosting a Resource Fair on Friday May 12 and
Friday May 19th. Hope to see you there! Napa County Resource Fairs Follow us on Facebook to learn about upcoming events and how you can become involved.
We are proud to share the important work of outreach with our Community Advisors: Napa County Animal Shelter, Napa Humane, Wine Country Animal Lovers, Jameson Humane, Napa Wildlife Rescue, We Care Animal Rescue and Sunrise Horse Rescue. These amazing animal organizations are key players in bolstering outcomes for the animals of our valley.
We hope you enjoy the lovely spring weather and the animals in your lives. Thank you for being prepared and for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Claudia Sonder
Napa CART President
Read the PDF version (opens in a new window and includes photos!) Napa-CART-News-Spring-2023.pdf