April 01, 2010: Keep On Truckin’ By Cathy Scott, Best Friends staff writer. Ronnie Graves from Sumter DART logistics uses his specialized trailer to assist animals, including the dogs rescued during Pup My Ride transports. Click here to read more.

Summer 2010: Below are pictures from the hoarding case in Mississippi. Several members of our team went to assist with intake and transportation. The Fletchers dropped most of the dogs off at the Sanford SPCA and brought these back to disperse between the Sarasota HSUS and the Suncoast Animal League. Click here to see more photos.

April 25, 2010: Pictures from the recent DART camp. If you have pics, please send us a copy to post! Click here to see more photos.

May 31, 2009: Bay Area DART members gathered Sunday at the Southeastern Guide Dogs campus for a mock drill with the University of Florida Veterinarian Emergency Team and the Vet Corps. The drill simulated what would happen following a Category 3 hurricane with extensive flooding and damage. To make the exercise more effective, 25 dogs from Southeastern’s puppy program were used in the drill. Click here to view media coverage from Fox News.

Click here to view our photo album for this event.

February 12, 2009: Beth Lockwood, SPCA Tampa Bay Executive Director, and Connie Brooks, SPCA Tampa Bay Operations Director, drove to North Carolina Tuesday, February 10th to assist in the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) rescue of more than 300 animals. The team returned in the early morning hours of February 12th with 74 animals. Bay Area DART members play a key roll in helping the shelter care for and socalize these animals.

September 24, 2008: SPCA Tampa Bay and DART Volunteers assisted in the wake of Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas.  Hurricane Ike left many companion animals homeless and in desperate need of aid. Many of the animals were transported to SPCA Tampa Bay for adoption and Bay Area DART provided much of the care needed to house over 100 animals once they arrived in Largo.

Below, Judy Baum holds a rescued puppy, who will be put up for adoption. Judy is a member of of the Bay Area DART team and NDART  Click here to read more from the HSUS web site.

September 20, 2008: Below are two photos of a cat that was transported from Galveston Island. There is no clean water or food on the island, so may of the animals that survived the storm are living in sewage conditions. Captured in a trap placed in the debris of what use to be a home on Galveston Island, the cat was taken to the HSUS compound to be transported back to Galveston by the ACO's. It takes about two hours to get off the island and travel back to the temporary shelter. When this cat got off the truck at the shelter it was semi-conscious from heat stroke. With emergency medical care Connie and Elaine were able to revive the cat and 24 hours later on it's way to recovery.

September 1, 2008: SPCA Tampa Bay and DART Volunteers Assist HSUS in Louisiana Pet Friendly Shelter in Gustav.As Hurricane Gustav continued its approach to the Mississippi/Louisiana area, volunteers from SPCA Tampa Bay and the Bay Area DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) rescued 25 dogs and 46 cats and kittens that had to be evacuated from the Humane Society of South Mississippi in Gulfport.

July 15, 2008: SPCA Tampa Bay was again asked by HSUS to assist in a large animal surrender in Live Oak, Florida. There were 64 dogs surrendered from a breeder with personal health reasons for doing so. They include Australian Shepherds, Mini Australian Shepherds, Pomeranians, Border and Rough Collies. All were breeding dogs, most over the age of two. Bay Area DART volunteers were there in the evening to unload and bed down the dogs for the night. The dogs were very shy and it was obvious many had never socialized with humans.

June 30, 2008: Bay Area DART and SPCA Tampa Bay Aid HSUS in Tennessee Puppy & Kitten Mill Raid, more than 700 Animals Saved. Click here to read more from the HSUS web site.

November 6, 2007: Bay Area DART and St. Petersburg College of Veterinary Technology partnered to provide a training opportunity including orientation to many types of animal related rescue equipment. Click here to view the photo gallery from the event. Some of the organizations that attended were:

• The Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team
• SPC Veterinary Technology Staff and Students
• Humane Society of United States Transport and Rescue Rigs/Supply Rigs
• Sumter County Disaster Animal Response Team
• American Humane Rescue Rig
• University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (Large Animal Rescue Equipment)
• Pinellas Park Mounted Police
• Pinellas County Animal Services
• SPCA Tampa Bay
• Working Dogs:  Bomb and Arson, Police, Guide Dogs-variety
• Local Police/ Fire/ and Emergency Management Representatives

August 5, 2007: Bay Area DART and Pinellas County Animal Services held a Pet Friendly Shelter Mock Training Drill at SPCA Tampa Bay. Click here to view photos from the event.

June 5, 2007: Valerie Burke went on a Gopher Tortoise relocation mission in June 2007. Click here to view the presentation that was shown at the October Bay Area DART meeting. To download the high resolution photos used in this presentation, click here.