VDART

Helping Animals In Disasters

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State Farm Neighborhood Assist®

The Vermont Humane Federation selected as a State Farm Neighborhood Assist® Top 200 Finalist and needs your votes!

(August 17, 2021) The Vermont Humane Federation (VHF), of which the Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (VDART) is a member, needs your help by voting for them to receive a $25,000 grant from State Farm® to help improve the lives of animals here in Vermont. Starting August 18 at 12:00am ET, U.S. residents who are 18 and older with a valid email address can vote for their favorite cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com.

The VHF and its member agencies have until August 27 at 11:59pm ET to rally votes and anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. On September 29, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced at www.neighborhoodassist.com and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to each of the affiliated nonprofits. 

This grant would support three critical initiatives benefiting animals throughout the state: immediate delivery of food and supplies to pets, expansion of affordable wellness services to more pet households, and the creation of a uniform training program for investigators of animal cruelty. Supporters can vote for VHF directly at this link: https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2039079

“VDART has been focused on providing pet food to food insecure pet families throughout the state during the pandemic,” said VDART Board chair Joanne Bourbeau. “This grant would allow us to help even more animals and people who continue to be negatively impacted by this disaster. No one should ever have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.”

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions.

Media Contact: 
Joanne Bourbeau
info@vermontdart.org
301-529-3378

The Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (VDART) was established to strengthen and support the state’s capacity to respond to animal needs in the event of a disaster.  Learn more at www.VermontDART.org and www.Facebook.com/VermontDART.





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CVDART expanding delivery of pet food to food shelves in the Northeast Kingdom

Central Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (CVDART) Press Release

On January 28, 2021, the Central Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team will be delivering over one-thousand pounds of pet food to food shelves in the Northeast Kingdom.  Without a local DART team in the Northeast Kingdom there is an unmet need for additional pet food to supplement the pet food provided by the Vermont Food Bank.

8These are difficult times for many of us and Vermonters are pulling together to care for each other. CVDART – the Central Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team, as well as other VDART regional teams across the state havebeen making sure that our pets are not forgotten. Together with local food pantries and animal welfare organizations, CVDART has been distributing food for companion animals.

Pets are especially important for those who are housebound or otherwise isolated. In some cases, a cat or dog might be the only companion a person has. The idea of having to make a choice between abandoning a beloved companion or sharing limited food is appalling. Thus, organizations like CVDART are working hard to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Since March CVDART has distributed over $18,500 worth of pet food to families through local food pantries. 

If you are interested in beginning a DART team in the Northeast Kingdom, please contact, Lisa Lemieux, Vice Chair, Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team – 802-505-7677 / cvdart2017@gmail.com

Delivering Pet Food During COVID-19

Pet Food donated to shelters during COVID-19

Click on the video above to watch the interview by WCAX. 

Many of the VDART teams have been collecting money and pet food to donate to food pantries around the state.  Over $4000 of dog and cat food donated.

Here are some of the recipients:

  • Capstone Community Action
  • CERV
  • Connecting Hope
  • Duxbury Elf Shelf
  • Faith in Action
  • Hedding Methodist
  • Montpelier Food Pantry
  • UMC Middlesex
  • Waterbury Food Shelf
  • Waterbury Senior Meals
  • Williamstown Food Shelf
  • Vermont Food Bank (Brattleboro)

Many people donated cash enabling the teams to purchase food to donate to food pantries.  Thanks to the many donations as well on Giving Tuesday!

COVID-19

Covid-19 Resources

Covid-19 Partners

The Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team stands ready to assist Vermonters and their animals in the face of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some additional resources on keeping your animals, yourselves, and your communities safe in the face of this crisis.

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Mission

The Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (VDART) was established in 2007 in order to strengthen and support the state’s capacity to respond to animal needs in the event of a disaster. We provide vital resources and advice to pet owners, animal-related businesses and non-profits, local communities, and state agencies in this area. Read More

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