The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) was dispatched on October 2 by the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) at the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Hurricane Helen already ranks among the top 10 deadliest storms in the state. The search continues, making it the deadliest incident in U.S. history and now North Carolina history.
Helen devastated southern states on the East Coast, but the highest death toll was in North Carolina, where VET crews will play a key role in assisting search and rescue dogs.
“Working dogs play a critical role in the aftermath of a disaster of this magnitude,” said VET Director Dr. Deb Zoran. “Our job is to make sure our highly trained dogs are healthy and ready to work, even when searching through dangerous debris, rough terrain or flooded areas.
The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences has supported the Texas A&M Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team since its formation in 1997. Zoran was one of the first veterinarians to support the team’s working dogs, making VET unique. We are qualified to provide working dogs with the care they need.
“Working dogs are highly specialized athletes,” Zoran says. “Part of our job as veterinarians during deployments is to make sure their senses are kept sharp, properly hydrated, and properly protected from the potential, often hidden dangers that come with the job. to confirm.”
VET also utilizes state-of-the-art decontamination methods for working dogs. This is important to ensure the safety of both dogs and their owners when working in areas affected by natural disasters.
“Flood and landslide areas left behind by disasters like Hurricane Helen It is extremely dangerous for human and animal health,” Zoran said. “We are working with dog handlers to conduct decontamination while the dogs are working in the field and when they return to their base of operations.”
In addition to deploying 12 VET members, the team is also accompanied by a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery (DAR) agent.
“Disasters are devastating and require response teams to work together to help those in need,” Zoran said. “We appreciate the logistical support from our fellow Texas A&M Aggies and DAR agents.”
This is VET Second deployment to the East Coast It was the fourth out-of-state response and first deployment to North Carolina in response to a powerful hurricane.
“No matter where disaster strikes, there are always people and animals in need,” Zoran says. “We are honored to be a part of this effort to help communities in need across the United States.”