Your Local Community

Ask your local emergency management director (see mass.gov for a listing) if your town's disaster plan accommodates pets!

Regional/State

CMDART
The Central MA Disaster Animal Response Team (CMDART) is an organization that assists the community with emergency preparedness for pets and animals. This volunteer organization meets the first Tuesday of each month at the First Congregational Church on Boston Rd in Sutton, MA from 7 PM to 9PM.

SMART
Provides a timely and effective response to any intentional or unintentional emergencies involving animals; including but not limited to bioterrorism, agriterrorism, emerging infectious disease, man-made or natural events.

A Sampling of National Programs

Noah's Wish
Noah's Wish is a not-for-profit, animal welfare organization, with a straightforward mission. We exist to keep animals alive during disasters.That's it. Noah's Wish recognizes that animals need and deserve an organized, consistent, and professionally managed national disaster relief program. Otherwise, they will continue to pay for human indifference with their lives. What will raise the standards for how animals are managed during disasters is to implement well thought out, field tested, policies and procedures that are practiced in all disasters. Relief efforts for people are managed this way and we feel they should be for animals too.

United Animal Nations: Emergency Animal Rescue Service
The Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) began filling this void over 15 years ago, responding to wild fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes to care for the animals. When EARS arrives, trained volunteers rescue, shelter, feed, groom, exercise and provide TLC for any displaced companion animals, wildlife and livestock during the duration of a disaster with no charge to the community.

HSUS Disaster Center
Offers courses:  Disaster Animal Response Training (DART) and Emergency Animal Sheltering (EAS) as well as posting vast information on preparedness

After I am a DVM

VMAT
Our mission is to support the local veterinary community in whatever way necessary to help it to resume its normal support of the community. VMAT has the capability of setting up a full field hospital, and can provide medical care for pets, search and rescue dogs, livestock, wildlife and even zoo animals if the need arises. We may also be activated to assist with food safety concerns, zoonotic disease, terrorist events and toxicological problems. Unfortunately, VMAT does not take students.