WASHINGTON STATE ANIMAL RESPONSE TEAM ANIMAL STATE WASHINGTON REPORT ANNUAL 2017 A Decade of Helping Animals and Their Owners in Emergencies

I’m happy to say that 2017 was training they’ve each gone through. not only our 10th anniversary, In addition to the new challenges, but another year of growth and we also faced many callouts on collaboration for us. As I look back things like heat exhaustion, livestock through the year, I see more and needing assistance to stand, dogs in more mention of WASART working ravines, etc. The types of requests effectively with other groups and that we see each and every year, and organizations in our rescues. will continue to respond to. Whether it was with King, Pierce Great news for us too - we were able and Snohomish County Search and to add to our fleet and purchase Rescue Groups, veterinarians, swift a much-needed second truck to water with Summit to Sound, or any tow our trailers. This new truck number of local Fire Departments enables us to respond more quickly and Law Enforcement agencies, to callouts from almost anywhere in A Letter From the President we were able to communicate Western WA. effectively, work together as a team I’m very proud to say too, that several and accomplish great things. We WASART volunteers deployed take great pride not only in our again with the ASPCA after the rescue skills, but also our reputation hurricanes in the Virgin Islands, for working together on a common Texas and Florida. Our reputation goal. There are many instances for having outstanding, well-trained, in the rescue world where having hardworking, knowledgeable experts in different fields is really volunteers is spreading even outside what’s needed. of Washington State. Some of the new challenges we faced As we celebrated our 10th included a helicopter extraction, a anniversary, it was amazing to look horse needing help to cross a swiftly back and see how far WASART has moving river, and a horse with its come! Even though we continue rider trapped underneath. In each to learn, grow and evolve, we still case, WASART volunteers were able always hold true to helping animals to adapt and utilize the extensive and their owners in emergencies.

With deep gratitude, Shawndra Michell, President Vision WASART’s vision: • Recognized as a model To be the premier for other animal response animal disaster response organizations organization throughout the Northwest. • Member of the Governor’s Readiness Council • State accreditation/ recognition/appointment Respect Mission statement Professionalism Helping Animals and Their Owners Excellence in reputation and in Emergencies delivery. Credibility Integrity Values We do what we say we can do. Teamwork Above reproach as well as morally Collaborative skills, experience and legally responsible for our and training, and willingness to actions and decisions. Honesty work with each other and other organizations. This allows us to Education expand our capabilities. Respectful collaboration to efficiently achieve Developing and sharing knowledge our goals. Accessibility and technical expertise. Utilizing skills and available resources to inform and train members and the Volunteerism broader community. Ethics Personal commitment to participate; to participate to the level we can. We are committed and we believe in our Higher Purpose. 2017 At a Glance 2017 Highlights • New (to to us) haul truck trailers • First involving rescue a • Second Becker tripod/bipod tripod/bipod Becker • Second members participatedin10separateASPCAdeploymentswithover40rotations, andoneRedRoverdeploymentin2017. comes to$545,887.Additionalhourswere volunteered atnationaldeploymentsandforadministrativecommitteeduties.WASART *At theWashington Volunteer HourlyRateof$30.04,asprovided bywww.independentsector.org, thetotalvalueofhourscommitted and responders helicopter responses. Snohomish county for faster equipmentrescue stationed in to complete of asecond set Deployments 39 10,338 In-state hours Members 162 $310,554 Volunteer value* 57,849 Miles traveled Board of Directors

Shawndra Michell President [email protected]

Larry Fosnick Davis Vice-President [email protected]

Minde Sunde Secretary [email protected]

Gretchen McCallum, J.D. Treasurer [email protected]

Greta Cook Training Director [email protected]

Michaela Eaves Public Information Officer [email protected]

William (Bill) Daugaard, P.E. Past President [email protected]

Jeff Dahl, DVM Advising Specialist [email protected] Balance Assets & Liabilities 2017 2016 Total Assets $227,079 $218,207 Total Liabilities $(992) $0 Net Assets $226,087 $218,207

Finacials Income Fundraising and Income Amount Percent Fundraising and Income Ratio Raise the Hoof Fundraiser $14,844. 16% Training fees $5,846. 6% Deployment $3,659. 4% Restricted $13,765. 15% Unrestricted/general $44,371. 47% Member dues $4,656. 5% Promotions & merchandise $6,279. 7% Total $93,420 100%

Expenses Summary of Expenses Amount Percent Program to Admin Ratio Program service expenses $61,611 76% Management & general expenses $13,133 16% Fundraising expenses $6,235 8% Total $80,979 100% Year in Review situations. variety ofin a wide emergency instructors are who experienced and bring of perspective the live animals whenever possible, emphasize hands-on training with are they which deployed. We to try credentialed for situations the in our members are who trained and danger to safety, we only deploy or transporting animals from in jeopardy from natural disasters, animal shelters, rescuing animals setting up and operating emergency animal emergencies. Whether for disastersscale and individual emergency situations, wide- both members to respond to animal commitment to training our welfare organizations is our deep WASART unique among animal A major of part what makes Education present at offerings. these non-WASART participants, were sessions. 100,including Over conductedalso House two Open were conducted one each.We time and PawAnimal Rescue Wrapping Sheltering, Transport, Technical Assessment, Emergency Animal dates. Animal Handling and were offered on two separate and Communications workshops This year, Fundamentals training ofother types trainings were held. deployments. Additionally, many responders available for technical availablethe Technician level with intention the of increasing 5-day, intensive class rigging members participated ina Technical Team, Rescue 10 trainings conducted by our In addition to monthly the

Outreach Emergency Response National Deployment Emergency preparedness and Emergency response is the main WASART members are called education are a core part of our type of situation WASART is called upon for a number of national mission. WASART continued for. The main types of rescues we see deployments from the ASPCA. In our commitment to community are dogs over cliffs and horses over 2017 WASART sent 9 of volunteers outreach in 2017; we were embankments or stuck in mud. on 23 rotations to assist the ASPCA represented at Petpalooza in Auburn, It’s not just animals we are saving. on 9 different deployments for a total Poochapalooza in Marysville, the We save humans as well as animals of 5,424 hours including responses Goatalympics in Monroe, Mutt by providing a way to retrieve an to Hurricane Maria and Irma. In Strutt in Everett, Barkfest in animal that is in a location that could addition to the ASPCA, many of Auburn, the BCBS Preparedness kill a well-meaning owner. In fact, our members are responders with Fair in Mountlake Terrace. nearly all the photos in this report other national organizations. These come from emergency responses deployments not only serve the we’ve completed this year, including animals and communities where our first swiftwater rescue. they are located but help to develop our own skills and procedures for local situations that arise. Coordination with Other Agencies In the course of our rescues we have the good fortune to assist, be assisted by and work side-by-side with, some truly amazing individuals and organizations. In some cases our work would not have been possible without their selfless and dedicated assistance. In 2017 we coordinated with members of King County Search and Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, Regional Animal Services of King County, Vashon Island Pet Protectors, volunteers from Seattle Fire Department, King County Explorer Search and Rescue (ESAR), Tacoma Mountain Rescue, various law enforcement agencies and local veterinarians, Summit to Sound Search & Rescue, and the Whatcom County Humane Society. We greatly value the relationships we have built with these fine organizations and look forward to growing these partnerships in the future. 2017 Response Highlights 2017 was a year full of down equines, dogs needing hoists and help, and one memorable horse over a river.

Buster we’ve used in the past, we set up the tripod and lift system before rigging On March 25, 2017, we received Buster. Once that was in place, we a call from our answering service pulled the straps for the sling under requesting assistance for a horse Buster so we could use them as cast in a shed. We headed out to handles to pull him on to the Rescue Orting, WA, in Pierce County after Glide. Before we had a chance to getting permission to deploy from secure Buster to the Rescue Glide he the Pierce County officials. attempted to get up, causing him to slide down a bit. We grabbed a wide We found Buster lying in an open strap from our rescue equipment shed, attended by concerned family. van and put a forward assist on him He’d been down for a couple of so we could pull him back onto the hours already and was unable to get glide. up on his own due to a healing break We think the family deserves to his pelvis. a big shout-out here. It was very Joining us on site was Buster’s vet, helpful to have them lending some Dr. Ashley Galen of Tacoma Equine muscle as well as giving Buster a Hospital. We’d recently met her at sense of familiarity while he lay a WASART presentation during a in a vulnerable position with all hospital seminar, so she was familiar the noises and strange people with our mission and capabilities. surrounding him. Additionally, Buster wasn’t in immediate Buster had an anxious herd mate distress, and we were somewhat nearby, a gray mare that one of the limited on responders. Rather than family members kept occupied and the divide-and-conquer scenario safely out of the way. Dr. Galen gave Buster a light dose trying to get up by kneeling on his allowed more and more weight to of sedation to help him out, and to neck, as well as letting him know settle on his feet. After a brief rest keep us safer. The sedation would he wasn’t alone. Once Buster was Buster began grazing, always a good keep Buster from trying to stand securely on the glide, all available sign from a horse. while we strapped him to the glide. people pulled him out from the Finally, we let him stand We were very careful of his injury. shed to under the tripod where the completely unaided. Dr. Galen was We also did not hobble or attempt to team attached him to the lift bar satisfied with his condition and we manipulate his feet. We had plenty and unstrapped him from the glide. cautiously packed up, leaving the of room to maneuver him without Anyone not otherwise occupied rigging and tripod for last in case having to pull the legs in as is the jumped on the haul team. Buster went down again. usual procedure when strapping a Buster was raised to his feet. He We headed home after a debrief large animal, horse, cow, etc., to the hung for a small amount of time, as and a short equipment sorting and Rescue Glide. horses often do before they realize inventory session, leaving Buster to Dr. Galen acted as our animal they aren’t laying down anymore. rediscover his favorite patch of grass attendant, keeping Buster from We gradually released tension and in his owners’ back yard. Hana On July 22, 2017, we received a call for a dog in need of assistance near the top of Snow Lake Trail, along the I-90 corridor east of North Bend, WA in King County. We put out a call for our volunteers and requested the loan of a litter wheel from King County Explorer Search and Rescue (ESAR), since the trail is steep and WASART did not have one. (With a generous donation from a WASART volunteer, we now have our own wheel.–Editor). King County Search and Rescue’s Rapid Alpine Deployment team (RAD) brought the equipment to the trailhead and began packing it up the approximately four miles to the location of the dog while other responders drove up to the trailhead. As the responders arrived at trailhead, we received another call for a horse stuck in a ditch in Auburn, WA, about 60 miles away. The WASART responders split into two teams. The dog team grabbed some gear from the rescue equipment van while the horse team departed for Auburn. The trail winds uphill almost the entire three miles of the route and increases in steepness and rockiness as it goes up. Along the way, hikers we passed mentioned seeing the dog, who rested with her head on a jacket. We met the RAD team at the dog’s location where they had the litter already assembled. Hana, a German Shepherd, waited with her owner at her side. We checked her over and took her temperature. Hikers with spare water had helped cool her by pouring water on her as they passed on the way down. The RAD team had deployed ice packs to help cool her, and someone had donated a frozen Capri Sun packet. Everyone had done a good job of cooling her. Her temperature was acceptable and she was able to keep water down. We fitted her with a harness and a muzzle and transferred her onto the litter. Strapped securely in the litter, now equipped with the borrowed wheel, she was ready to be carried out. The last of our immediate responders arrived at this point, including a responder from Pierce County Explorer Search and Rescue (PCESAR). He had been hiking with a WASART member and requested to permission from Pierce County to help. With the last of the team assembled, and the dog ready to go, we headed down the rocky path. Managing a litter down a rocky path with switchbacks can be difficult. The wheel for the litter helps to carry the weight. A person at the head and one at the rear help stabilize it. Another person behind holds a tagline to act as a backup brake, and one more farther in front of the litter the calls out rocks, roots, notches, and other hazards of the trail. When a trail got too rough to roll, the litter was handed down to waiting responders. Frequent stops were called to swap out responders as arms and eyes get tired. ESAR command (King County SAR Deputy Pete Linde) kindly sent more responders up to help, so we had fresh help down the trail, including one individual from Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR). Hana rode quietly in the litter, watching the activity around her and accepting help. We got the litter safely down and met up with the rest of Hana’s family. Transferring her into their waiting car, her owners took her immediately to an emergency veterinarian. We’re told she spent several nights there before being discharged to her people. A big thanks to our friends at King County Search and Rescue and Pierce County Search and Rescue for all your help and willingness to share.

Twix Mondays can be difficult days on which to assemble a full team for a deployment but Monday, September 11, 2017, proved to be the exception to the rule. Late on that day, we received a call for assistance a horse, , who had spooked and ended up on the far bank of the Snohomish River in Snohomish County. He was safe but hemmed in by geography and too afraid of the water to swim back on his own. We decided the horse was safe enough and had grass and water available. Attempting a rescue in the dark can introduce unnecessary risks. Making plans and proceeding in the morning would be safer for the horse as well as the responders. That evening we considered and rejected several plans, concluding that the best course was to swim the horse back across the river. Though the river is low, any water rescue can be dangerous. WASART members are not currently trained for swift water rescues but, fortunately, we have friends at Summit to Sound Search and Rescue in Whatcom County who are. We’ve worked with them a few times and successfully completed a swift water rescue was low enough to walk through, there was a channel right in front of the horse that was about ten feet wide and seven feet deep. This was the main feature we needed to get the horse across to get him to safety. One of our best horse handlers, JC, trudged through the water and across the river and rigged the horse. He used a Wideman Configuration to distribute weight and not injure the horse and which would keep Twix securely harnessed as he was pulled across. We attached a water rescue rope to the rigging. The water rescue rope is key here because it’s designed to float and have less drag in the water, where our usual rescue ropes could have bogged down and become a hazard. The veterinarian put an inner tube around the horse’s neck to give a little flotation to the head and also a bit of sedation to help calm the horse. The rest of the responders took their places on the other end of the rope to pull the horse into the water and through the deeper part. He was able to walk the rest of the way over in the shallow water. Nearby, his owner, her friend, and Twix’s pasture mates were on hand to call him over and encourage him. Rigging lead Joe called the pull and we steadily and firmly pulled Twix off his spot by the side of the river, into the water, and then across the river. The solution worked well, and his nose never went under, which could have caused medical with them not too long ago (see last The next day, we met them at the issues. year’s annual report). Additionally, river, about half a mile upstream We’re grateful to Summit to Sound some of their swift water technicians from the horse. Joining us was a for lending us their swift water are also horse people. Snohomish local veterinarian and some friends experts. They are responsible for the County’s Sheriff was enough to who also brought boats. We donned rescue going safely and smoothly. put in an official request for Summit Personal Protective Equipment We’re also very appreciative of the to Sound and four responders came (PPE) and Personal Flotation efforts of the veterinarian and the down that afternoon with a boat and Devices (PFD), then headed down local folks who provided boats in equipment in tow. the river. Though most of the river case they were needed. our to goal make sure everyone is correctlyeveryone Did we get it wrong? contribution and it’s washingtonsart.org missed yourmissed name please letus knowplease represented. If we and we’ll issue a or it, misspelled at fundraising@ We value your revision.

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