Pulse - September 2024 - 17

UC DAVIS UPDATE
UC Davis Leads Animal
Relief Efforts at Park Fire
Cody Kitaura, Will Burke, Rob Warren - UC Davis
A
s the Park Fire burned
more than 400,000 acres
of Northern California over the
past month, the UC Davis School
of Veterinary Medicine was
there to lead efforts to rescue
and treat animals injured, lost,
or displaced by the devastating
wildfire.
The California Veterinary Emergency Team
(CVET) spent two weeks at the fire, utilizing
more than 50 veterinary professional responders
logging nearly 2,000 volunteer hours. In
total, the team cared for 164 animals in designated
disaster animal shelters - 100 small
animals and 64 large animals. The massive
Park Fire stretched across Butte, Plumas,
Shasta, and Tehama counties.
With an increasing need for coordinated
veterinary care during emergencies throughout
the state, the California Legislature passed a bill
to form CVET in 2021. Administered by the
One Health Institute at the UC Davis School
of Veterinary Medicine, CVET supports and
trains a network of government agencies and
organizations to aid domestic animals and livestock
during emergencies.
With the formation of CVET, the personnel,
equipment, knowledge, and legacy of the
former Veterinary Emergency Response Team
was folded into CVET to expand UC Davis'
veterinary disaster response capacity from a
local county effort to a statewide response.
CVET always stands ready to assist counties
across the state with veterinary rescue and
care when local resources have been exhausted
and state assistance is needed.
Since forming, CVET has partnered with
a variety of state agencies, nongovernmental
organizations, and veterinary medical associations.
CVET works in close collaboration
with California's Office of Emergency Services,
the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, the California Animal Response
PULSE
SEPTEMBER 2024
A CVET staff member carries a dog with bandaged paws in Butte County. (Eunah Preston/CVET)
Emergency System, the California Veterinary
Medical Reserve Corps, and many other
response organizations throughout the state.
At the Park Fire, CVET's efforts were
mostly centered at animal evacuation centers,
but they also responded to two veterinary calls
in the field. One animal-a goat with severe
burns-was transferred to the UC Davis veterinary
hospital for specialty care.
Their response comprised seven CVET staff
members and 32 volunteers from the School of
Veterinary Medicine, California Community
Animal Response Teams, Napa Community
Animal Response Team, Sacramento Zoo, and
California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps.
Those volunteers have included veterinarians,
registered veterinary technicians, and veterinary
assistants.
CVET also worked with Butte County
Animal Services, North Valley Animal
Disaster Group, California Animal Welfare
17
Association, and the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
" UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
is happy to be assisting communities in crises
such as this, " said CVET Director Dr. Michael
Ziccardi. " We're a statewide program now, so
anywhere there is a disaster where domesticated
animals and livestock are in need of
veterinary care, we'll be there. "
The robust program has recruited many
veterinary professional volunteers throughout
the state but is always looking for more. If
you are interested in volunteering, training, or
partnering with CVET, please contact cvet@
ucdavis.edu.
In addition to veterinary care at the Park Fire,
the UC Davis Fire Department also assisted
local and state authorities to fight the blaze,
sending several firefighters and trucks. P

Pulse - September 2024

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