Purpose:

To minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and subsequent disability by providing timely and coordinated assistance for animals displaced during a disaster, thereby preventing or alleviating anxiety and distress of animals and their owners.

Objectives:

• To protect the health and safety of the community
• To provide immediate care and control of animals
• To minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and subsequent disability
• To provide a system for returning animals to their owners after the event is over

Definition of a Disaster:

A disaster is any occurrence, natural or man-made, that causes substantial suffering to human beings and animals, and catastrophic damage to property.

What we do:

• We are a small group of volunteers organizing procedures for temporarily providing housing and care for companion animals in the event of a local emergency.
• To date we have been involved with a table top exercise to learn how best to set up a temporary emergency shelter.

HEART volunteers work through a table top exercise to determine how best to set up work areas at a temporary shelter.	Some of the signage for the temporary shelter work areas.

• We have compiled a list of local hotels and motels that would provide shelter for people with their pets during an event deemed a disaster or emergency.
• We have compiled a list of items to include in an emergency first aid kit, and discussed the uses of each item.
• We have created a brochure to inform local pet owners about things they might want to do to prepare for such a time when they might need to evacuate themselves and their pets quickly from their home.
• We have contracted with Rockingham County Fairgrounds to be able to use the fairgrounds to set up an emergency shelter in the advent of a disaster.

We may have to set up an emergency animal shelter at the fairgrounds someday.	Depending upon the severity of the disaster, and on-going activities at the fairgrounds, we need to be prepared to use any one of the buildings at this site.
HEART volunteers scout out the exterior of the disaster emergency center in preparation for a potential disaster.	It is important to consider how best to accomodate people bringing their pets in for care, volunteer parking, and access for delivery vehicles when setting up a temporary shelter during an emergency.

If you are interested in volunteering for this program, please visit our Forms page to download the volunteer form and indicate that you are interested in more information regarding the HEART program.

To learn more about what you need to do to prepare your own pets in advance for an emergency click here.