ASPCA Provides More Than $30,000 in Grants to Aid Organizations for Disaster Preparedness and Response

NEW YORK--The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced it will provide seven organizations, including the Florida State Animal Response Coalition in Bushnell, Fla., with more than $30,000 in grant funding dedicated to providing aid for groups affected by recent severe weather incidents or helping improve disaster preparedness measures in the community.

The Florida State Animal Response Coalition received a $5,000 grant to train volunteers and instructors to enhance statewide disaster and response.

"Florida State Animal Response Coalition is grateful to the ASPCA for assisting us in bringing our Awareness Level Small Animal Emergency Sheltering course to communities throughout the state," said Consie von Gontard, director of Training for Florida State Animal Response Coalition. "Florida has been a forerunner in disaster planning and response for animals and this course will help ensure that we have trained, professional volunteers to care for and shelter animals when disaster strikes."

"The ASPCA assisted in numerous disaster response operations from April through September this year, and we wanted to continue to offer assistance with funding to help communities that have been affected by disasters, or are taking necessary steps to prepare for a disaster," said Allison Cardona, program development and grants officer for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. "We are especially supportive of groups such as the Florida State Animal Response Coalition who are committed to the welfare of animals. We hope that our grant will enable them to care for and protect countless more animals in its community."

Additionally, the following grant recipients received funds related to disaster preparedness and response:

• Little Fork Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Inc. in Rixeyville, Va. received $8,000 to purchase a large animal rescue trailer that allows the fire department to enhance its large animal and equine rescue capabilities;

• Montgomery County Animal Rescue in Red Oak, Iowa, received $7,000 to provide kennels for stray and abandoned animals displaced by the recent Missouri River flooding;

• Austin Humane Society in Austin, Texas received $5,000 to purchase food, medical supplies, and other resources to provide care and treatment for animals affected by the wildfires in nearby Bastrop;

• Equamore Foundation in Ashland, Ore. received $4,000 to provide large animal rescue and disaster response training for law enforcement officers, emergency first responders, search and rescue personnel, and animal rescue groups throughout the state;

• Florida English Bulldog Rescue in Odessa, Fla. received $1,200 to purchase a generator to serve as a back-up and power its facility in an event of a disaster; and

• Animal Evac Volunteers, Inc. in Pine, Colo. received $1,000 to purchase an emergency animal transport trailer to relocate a large number of animals to safety.

The ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team frequently responds to natural disasters, including major events like this year's tornado in Joplin, Mo., as well as Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The ASPCA is commonly called upon by state and municipal governments and other animal welfare agencies to lend expertise during large-scale animal rescue operations. This year alone, the ASPCA has assisted more than 20,000 animals in communities throughout the U.S. that were severely affected by tornadoes, flooding and storms.

For information on disaster preparedness and safety tips from the ASPCA, please click here.

About Florida State Animal Response Coalition
Florida State Animal Response Coalition is a not-for-profit, volunteer based team of highly qualified animal responders dedicated to all-hazard disaster preparation, planning, training, response and recovery. When a hurricane, fire, tornado or other disaster threatens the state of Florida, we will be there to assist with teams of professional volunteers dedicated to care for the animals that rely on us. For more information on how you can help, please visit www.flsarc.org. Florida State Animal Response Coalition....because the ENTIRE family matters.