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Veterinary Emergency Team set up in California
The team will recruit and train volunteer veterinary surgeons on best practice in shelter and emergency medicine.

Run by UC Davis, the team will assist and care for animals during natural disasters. 

Leaders at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine have combined with Californian veterinary surgeons and legislators to create the California Veterinary Emergency Team.

The team has been set up in response to the difficulties in evacuating, sheltering and caring for animals due to the wildfires in California, and will function as an emergency programme to help rescue animals in disasters.

Intended to support and train a network of organisations, government agencies, and individuals, the Emergency Team, administered by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, will rescue and provide care for domestic animals and livestock. 

Michael Ziccardi, director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, which the new programme is modelled from, commented: “We want to create a robust, coordinated effort statewide to help animals during disasters.

“The California Veterinary Emergency Team will bring together state and county agencies and organizations charged with emergency response to help them organize, train and adopt best practices.”

The need for this service in California is evident, as Californian Senator Glazer said: “Recent wildfires have overwhelmed the state’s ability to safely evacuate and care for household animals and livestock.
 
“Twice in the past five years we have had to call on Texas to send an emergency team to assist. That puts not just animals at risk but also increases the danger for residents and first responders if people stay behind fire lines because they fear their animals will not be cared for. 

“We need this new team to help train, coordinate and lead the hundreds of volunteers who are eager to help. Our goal is a team that is ready to respond anywhere in the state with a mobile command center, a clinic if necessary, and the veterinarians, equipment and medicine to get the job done.”

Anticipated to take a significant amount of time to develop, the California Veterinary Emergency Team will be in an organizational phase during the next fire season. 

 

© (Veterinary Emergency Response Team, UC Davis)

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.