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BERKS CART

Berks CART – Because it can happen here. Are you prepared?

Since 2004, Humane Pennsylvania has taken the lead in emergency and disaster response in our region and beyond through the County Animal Response Team (Berks CART). Humane Pennsylvania staff and volunteers have set up and managed emergency shelters during ice storms, hurricanes and floods and served around the nation as team partners for national organizations.

Local, state, and federal governments can’t do it on their own and, when it comes to animals, they need the help of experts like Humane Pennsylvania’s staff and volunteers.  In order to be there for them, we need you to be there for us.

In 2005, the Humane Society of Berks County was appointed to be the lead agency to undertake the creation of the first Animal Response Team for Berks County (Berks CART).

Berks CART is a local extension of the State Animal Response Team for Pennsylvania (PA SART). These Animal Response Teams are public/private/non-profit partnerships intended to provide the volunteers, resources, organization, and financial commitment needed to plan for and respond to disaster of all types and sizes impacting animals in our state and county.

With guidance from PA SART, Berks CART has two operational warehouse spaces to be utilized for receiving, sorting, and distributing food and supply resources from central locations and is serving as the primary Eastern Pennsylvania large-scale emergency distribution resource for pet food and supplies.

Since being activated, Berks CART has delivered over 472 tons of pet food to human food pantries, animal shelters, and rescue groups. We are continuing to work on distributing on request to school districts in Berks, Lancaster, Chester Counties, and beyond who reach out with any requests to be added to the deliveries of needed pet food.

Spike’s Pet Pantry program is open in a modified way for our Lancaster and Berks clients. Please click here to view the new procedure for acquiring pet food at the Humane Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Campus and Humane Pennsylvania’s Community Resource Center.

Humane Pennsylvania is a longtime leader in ensuring a strong and ready response to emergencies and natural disasters.  Before Katrina drew attention to the peril of pets and people during disasters, Humane Pennsylvania’s partner organization the Humane Society of Berks County was the first animal welfare organization to lead a County Animal Response Team (Berks CART) as part of Pennsylvania’s nationally recognized PA State Animal Response Team.

For information on how you can support Humane Pennsylvania’s emergency response efforts, contact Damon March, Director of Operations at dmarch@humanepa.org.