Press Release

ASPCA^® Disaster Response Team To Learn Fundamentals of Large Animal Handling and Rescue

Farm Sanctuary in Woodstock, NY to Host Training Course

April 24, 2009

ASPCA Media Contact

WHO/WHAT: Staff of The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) will attend large animal handling and safe rescue training course in Woodstock, New York to expand their disaster response capabilities.

The 12-member ASPCA Disaster Response Team will engage in a hands-on, intensive large animal handling and rescue course, taught by Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary staff. The ASPCA team will focus on safe large animal handling concepts and techniques and the fundamentals of rescue in the instance of a disaster. While the ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, it is a national organization and has been deployed to assist in extreme rescue situations like Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Gustav, as well as anti-cruelty cases such as puppy mill raids. This training course was selected by Allison Cardona, director of The ASPCA Disaster Response Team, in order to best position the ASPCA team for large animal preparedness in the event of deployment.

Media are invited to join the ASPCA Disaster Response Team on Monday April 27 between 9 AM and 5 PM at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary as the Team works with farm animals including pigs, cows and turkeys, learning safe handling skills and the proper way to interact with large animals in the event of an emergency situation.

In line with the mission of the ASPCA, the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary provides shelter to cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep and goats who have been rescued from cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary has previously taken in chickens that were rescued by ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement. The large animal handling training cements a growing partnership between the two organizations.

The ASPCA will also continue its partnership with the Saranac Technical Rescue Team (STRT) by having two STRT members to train alongside them and be better prepared to assist the ASPCA in the event of a disaster.

WHEN: Monday, April 27
9 AM – 5 PM

WHERE: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
35 Van Wagner Road
Willow, NY 12495

MORE INFO: The ASPCA Disaster Response team is trained and prepared for emergency disasters and has the ability to provide assistance for emergencies that affect companion animals. The 12-member team assists animal victims of natural and man-made disasters in New York and throughout the country.

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Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

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