Vol. 12, No. 5, May 2016 |
Printer-Friendly PDF Version |
SART Partner, UF College of Veterinary Medicine, Deploys to Save 3-Day Old Calf
At approximately 6pm on April 13, 2016, the ACSO requested mutual aid at 22926 NW 50th Lane, Newberry, from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Technical Rescue Team, which has a long history of working together to save animals, and protect citizens, who might have attempted rescues on their own.
The team leader, College Director John Haven, assembled available team members, Josh Fleming, Brandi Phillips, third year DVM student Jennifer Groover, UF CVM alumni Dr. Cassie Fleming, and off duty ACSO Rural Service Deputies Brandon Jones and Perry Koon, both who have training in animal technical rescue.
The animal was a 3-day old calf, which had fallen fifteen feet into a sink hole which had opened up in the yard. The calf was believed to have been in there about a day. The top of the hole was barely two feet in diameter, and opened up into a cavern inside; far too dangerous to put a rescuer inside.
Working against the approaching darkness and pending storms, the team assessed the situation, and after verifying the animal was still alive, set about a plan to mitigate the hazards and rescue the animal.
What seemed like an archeological dig, the team carefully opened the hole up with shovels, minimizing the amount of dirt that would fall into the hole.
Eventually the team was able to mitigate a cave in, and also created a gentle slope on one side for hoisting the animal up. From there, Josh Fleming, attached with a belay rope system, was able to operate from the hole edge, and use a Lark's Foot rescue technique, while Deputy Jones used an extended boat pole to encourage the calf to step into the rescue system.
Once the calf's head, front legs, and chest were in the system, the team was able to hoist the calf up. Dr. Fleming providing a quick physical exam of the calf, and with Jennifer Groover, reunited the calf with its mother. The rescue itself took just over an hour.
While the rescue certainly saved another animal, it is the recognition of the human animal bond, and the drive owners possess to save their own animals that really makes this public service by the UFCVM and ACSO team so important. On several rescues in the past, including this one, owners and neighbors have contemplated and even started to take action on how they were going to conduct the rescue themselves rather than wait for assistance.
This ability to bring trained responders together with the equipment to solve complex animal rescues avoids potentially having to rescue or recover a human. The UF CVM Animal Technical Rescue Team is dispatched through the Alachua County 911 Communications Center, in support of either a sheriff unit, or county fire station, and typically responds up to two hours from Gainesville. The team has conducted rescues in Alachua, Marion, Levy, Suwannee Counties.
The timing of the rescue comes right on the back of the UFCVM And ACSO Rural Service team recently coordinating the nation's first "Animal Technical Rescue Rodeo" where fire rescue and sheriffs units from around the state came together to be challenged with complex rescues of both large livestock, and small farm animals and companion animals, just like the calf.
The team's equipment and operating expenses are funded by donations through the UF Foundation in support of the UF CVM VETS Team. If you would like to learn more about the team, or how to support it, contact John Haven at 352-294-4254.
Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program Now Accepting Applications from Private Landowners
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that the Florida Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program. Applications for the program will be accepted through July 29, 2016.
“Cogongrass is one of the most aggressive weeds in Florida and is capable of rapidly choking out and displacing our native plant species,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Through the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program, landowners can help stop the spread of this harmful pest in Florida.”
Cogongrass is an invasive, non-native grass that occurs in Florida and several other southeastern states. Cogongrass infestations negatively affect tree regeneration, growth and survival, as well as wildlife habitat, native plant diversity, forage quality and property values. They also increase the risk of wildfires and alter fire behavior.
“Left untreated, invasive cogongrass can spread quickly, causing long-term problems,” said State Forester Jim Karels. “In addition to reducing the productivity and value of forests and rangelands, it can greatly increase the risk and severity of wildfire.”
The Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program, a grant from the USDA Forest Service, is offered for non-industrial private lands in all Florida counties. It provides reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost to treat cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years.
To obtain an application form or to learn more about program requirements, contact a local Florida Forest Service county forester or visit the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program web page . All qualifying applications will be evaluated and ranked for approval.
To read more, please visit http://www.freshfromflorida.com/News-Events/Press-Releases/2016-Press-Releases/Cogongrass-Treatment-Cost-Share-Program-Now-Accepting-Applications-from-Private-Landowners
CVM Public Health and Service Club Conducts Disease Responder Practice
On Friday April 15th, the CVM Public Health and Service Club conducted their annual spring disease response wet lab. This year, with the assistance of a grant from the AVMA’s Public Health and Community Outreach Committee, the club was able to buy new personal protective equipment (PPE), sample collection kits, and black lights. The lab was conducted with the assistance of the UF CVM VETS disaster response team.
Students received training about diseases zones, the donning and doffing process of their PPE, as well as received training regarding the safety considerations in deciding appropriate levels of PPE. Discussion also included the difference in bio-security protection to prevent disease spread between animals, vs. protection against zoonotic spread between species; especially to humans.
Twenty-seven students from the first, second, and third years of veterinary school were grouped in teams, filling the roles of team leader/animal handler, animal examiner, sample collector, and scribe. Each student was dressed out in full Tyvek, booties, double sets of gloves, hood, face shield and an N-95 respirator for “Level C” PPE.
Each team then entered a paddock with seven horses, which were “reported to have medical symptoms” resembling “Glanders” ―a zoonotic disease affecting people and horses―and is on the Biowatch list of important diseases that can be used in terrorism. Each team then examined their assigned horse and documented the case.
While performing these tasks, the students were sprayed with a dye that would show up under black light, which would show if they had contaminated themselves in the doffing of their PPE.
For doffing their PPE, rather than go through a staffed ‘decontamination corridor’ where a team would decontaminate them, each student did ‘decon in a bag’; a process simulating what a state or USDA field disease diagnostician would do if they went on a farm to check on a sentinel event report from a farmer, and they had to decontaminate themselves.
While they got to perform as a team of three or four, a disease responder may have to do on their own. They also really appreciated the need to not only be trained for these types of tasks, but the importance of practicing and staying proficient.
The students also related this experience with an animal disease, to recognition of the veterinary professional’s involvement in public health, and DVM responder participation in recent disease outbreaks, such as Ebola.