North Okanagan course trains volunteers in disaster response for animals

COLDSTREAM – While the main focus is on humans if and when emergency situations arise, our four-legged friends also need many of the same services during wildfires, floods and other catastrophes.

The best time to volunteer in an emergency situation is actually long before the emergency situation happens so if animals are your thing, a course running this weekend will teach volunteers valuable skills needed during the emergency effort to look after pets and domesticated animals.

The Crate Escape Dog Adventures is hosting a weekend course from the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team giving people the opportunity to know what to do to care for animals if emergency situations arise.

"When an actual emergency happens tons of volunteers come forward and that's super awesome, but most of the people that come forward don't have any training and they're not actually sure what to do," Crate Escape owner Vanessa Roberts said. "The people who have done the training can actually delegate and help other people… it just becomes organized and much more functional."

Roberts said while Emergency Social Services is quick to act and help people following an emergency situation, the animal response team was formed to help the animals also caught up in the emergency situation.

The two-day course will cover a variety of roles, all vital in an emergency situation. From administration and clerical functions to feeding, exercising, and basic pet care, to setting up an emergency shelter.

"Anything from clerical to hands-on work and anything that's in between gets covered," Roberts said.

While Kamloops has a core group of certified animal response team volunteers, who can work along side Emergency Social Services when the need arises, the Okanagan does not as yet have a core team of certified animal response volunteers. Roberts hopes this course will be the beginning of such a group forming which can step in if and when the time comes and coordinate a successful response to animals in need.

The course runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 20 and 21. It is also possible to attend just the July 20 session. The course costs $40 per person, per day. For more information email here: heather.ferguson@cdart.org

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