Florida SART: Florida State Agricultural Response Team

Florida SARC Awareness Courses

The Florida State Animal Response Coalition is teaching "Small Animal Emergency Sheltering: Awareness Level" to promote effective response for animals during disasters. Registration is required, but there is no fee to attend. Breakfast, snacks and lunch will be provided through a sponsorship by IAMs Pet Foods.

Course Topics include:

Personal Preparedness	Overview of Incident Command System
Deployment Preparedness	Assisting in Shelter Set Up
Daily Care and Feeding	Proper Cage Cleaning and Disinfection
Animal Behavior	Stress Management
Zoonotic Disease	Personal Safety
and more …

July 14 – Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Alachua County Emergency Operations Center
1100 SE 27th Street, Gainesville, FL 32614
Hosts: The Greater Gainesville Dog Fanciers' Association and Alachua County Emergency Management

July 29 – This class is full. Please email Pam Burns pamburnssarc@gmail.com if you wish to add your name to the wait list. A Florida SARC representative will contact you if space becomes available.
SPCA Tampa Bay- Education Center
9099 130th Ave N, Largo, FL 33773

For more information go to http://www.flsarc.org/Training.html or contact Consie Von Gontard training@flsarc.org (352) 658-1224.

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Help! Fire ant!

Photo: A red imported fire ant covered by the modified fungus which UF/IFAS researchers found disrupts the ants' social behaviors. (Photo courtesy of UF researcher Yanhua Fan)

The red imported fire ant (often abbreviated as RIFA) is an invasive pest. It was accidentally introduced to the US from a South American cargo ship at the port of Mobile in the 1930s. It has no natural predators in the US. The FDA estimates more than $5 billion is spent annually on medical treatment, damage, and control. Severe allergic reactions to fire ant stings –chest pain, nausea, sweating, loss of breath, swelling, slurred speech – can be fatal. The ants cause approximately $750 million in damage annually to agricultural assets, including veterinarian bills and livestock loss, as well as crop loss.

You're fumbling under the house trying to reach the litter of kittens after the tornado has demolished the town – or you're searching through the rubble of a barn for a lost calf. It's hotter than blue blazes. You're thirsty and sweating and suddenly, fire ants are swarming up your leg and biting like blue blazes. They hurt like the dickens! You jump up and down, pull off your pants and swipe at your legs, much to the misplaced amusement of your colleagues, but you have to get them off immediately or their toxin can make you very sick. You want to scream, "Can't somebody do something?"

Researchers at UF/IFAS have studied fire ants for years. According to a recent news release, they may now have a real lead in controlling the pest without using poison. They have modified an environmentally-friendly fungus that operates on the fire ant's nervous system and disrupts their social patterns. "The modified fungus was five to eight times as effective in killing fire ants, but had no increased effect on an unrelated insect, the greater wax moth," reads the IFAS News Release. The research, which is also directed at mosquitoes, is directed by Nemat Keyhani, a UF associate professor of microbiology and cell science. For the complete story written by Mickie Anderson, go to: http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2012/02/02/uf-studies-show-promise-for-biological-control-methods-against-insect/

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Caught On Radar

Update - 2013 Planning Meeting – Registration Now Online
           The next state-wide SART Planning Meeting is scheduled for Monday-Wednesday, January 28-30, 2013. There is no event fee for registered participants.
            Registration is available at www.flsart.org/jsp/meetingregistration/. For those organizations and individuals who must wait, on-site registration will begin at noon on Monday the 28th. A general session will end with closing remarks at noon Wednesday the 30th.

From the May 30-June 1, 2007 Florida SART Conference held at TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort in St. Petersburg Beach.

           The site for the conference is The Shores, 2637 South Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118 Telephone (386) 767-7350 Fax (386) 760-3651 Toll Free (866) 396-2217 http://www.shoresresort.com/.
            According to SART Planner Bianca Blakley (bianca.blakley@freshfromflorida.com 850-410-0959) room rates for conference attendees are $99/per night. You must register and book your room before December 28 to be eligible for the group rate. Conference attendees are invited to a light fare reception on Monday evening.

NOTE: Photos from the Florida SART conferences of 2007 and 2009, and the 2011 planning meeting are available online at http://www.flsart.org/photogallerylist/.

KBDI: For those who like statistics or What a difference a month makes!
            From the May SART Sentinel: "In April, in response to the ongoing drought, the Suwannee River Water Management District urged water users to curb unnecessary uses of water and began evaluating mandatory water use restrictions. The 12 months ending in March were the driest since 1932. Groundwater gauges in the area, including natural springs, were at their lowest indications since their installation."

Photos courtesy Suwannee River Water Management District

           FSA State Director and SART Co-Founder Tim Manning says that in extremely dry times he prays for a gentle tropical wave. In May and June 2012, Tim's wish came true … at least for major parts of north and central Florida.
           From January 1 to the present day, the state's drought situation has fluctuated dramatically. Sports fans say that statistics are for losers, but here are a few that help put this year into perspective. Remember that a KBDI (the Keetch Byram Drought Index measures soil moisture and is managed by the Florida Forest Service) score of 1 means under water while a score of 800 means Sahara-like conditions. http://flame.fl-dof.com/fire_weather/KBDI/index.html

2012 date	Statewide Mean	Blackwater (Pensacola)	Waccasassa (Gainesville)	Everglades (Miami-Dade)
1/1	417	173	466	471
2/1	461	185	503	574
3/1	440	85	418	600
4/1	503	251	493	641
5/1	506	385	558	357
6/1	382	550	214	183
7/1	197	450	111	260

           According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center at UNC/Chapel Hill, the state of Florida began collecting weather data in 1895. That year the state measured a received 47.85 inches of rainfall. The wettest year on record was 1947 when 72.5 inches of rain fell and the driest was 1950 with 40.83 inches. www.sercc.com/climateinfo_files/monthly/Florida_prcp.html

FACA Notes Recent Legislation
CS/HB 479 Animal Control (Representative O'Toole and Senator Hays)
            This was a joint effort of the Florida Animal Control Assn. (FACA), the Humane Society of the United States and the Dept. of Health (DOH) to make certain drugs available to shelters without a veterinarian on staff so that the shelter does not have to receive a letter of exemption from DOH.
            The bill provides for rulemaking to add new drugs in the future as needed and restricts the use of intra-cardiac injection to cases where the animal is unconscious and has no corneal reflex, and removes the option of euthanizing an animal by using a solution or powder added to food. Finally, it provides for mandatory reporting for rabies and other diseases so that DOH can collect better statewide data. Effective July 1, 2012. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=47636

Colorado Wildfires Require Emergency Veterinary Assistance
            The American Veterinary Medical Foundation has appealed for assistance due to the wildfire situation in the West. According to their broadcast email:

"As the wildfires continue to rage across Colorado, more and more people and their pets are being forced from their homes and communities. Colorado's animal population includes an estimated 2.5 million dogs and cats, 500,000 additional pets of various species, 3 million beef and dairy cattle, 800,000 pigs, 600,000 sheep and goats, 200,000 horses, and millions of wild animals including deer, elk, bison and birds. Many of these animals are now suffering injuries such as burns and smoke inhalation or are homeless due to the massive wildfires."

            It is appropriate to mention that the AVMF (www.avmf.org) has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org). Here is a portion of the official notification from Ken Berger, President/CEO of Charity Navigator: "Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way. Approximately a quarter of the charities we evaluate have received our highest rating …" of four stars.

66 Cats Rescued from Delray Beach Home
           SART member and Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officer Dianne Sauve regularly takes part in hoarding and animal cruelty remediation and investigation. In January, she helped with the treatment and processing of 66 cats taken from a small home in Delray Beach.
            "It shows how quickly things can escalate out of control," said Sauve. Apparently, the woman taking care of the cats had recently been evicted. However the county had previously warned her – when she only owned a dozen or so cats – that she needed to get rid of some of them.
            Despite the numbers and the filth, Sauve says in this particular case the cats were in "pretty good health" although some of the kittens were sick.
            Sauve says most animal hoarders have good intentions, but just can't provide for all of the animals they collect. "You have to be able to pay for things and provide physically for the needs of the animals."

           She estimated that 25 percent of animal rescuers could legitimately be considered hoarders and that family and friends need to get involved when things get out of control. "Intervention is usually needed and people need to come to grips with what is happening." A big warning sign that an animal rescuer is in over their head is when they no longer allow family or friends to come inside of their home.

Name Change
            Carol Lehtola, retired UF/IFAS professor, recently sent the Sentinel an email about the National Institute for Farm Safety (NIFS) which recently approved a name change to International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH - http://isash.org/).
            ISASH is an organization dedicated to the professional development of agricultural safety and health professionals, providing national and international leadership in preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses to the agricultural community. ISASH provides opportunities for sharing information about research and intervention programs, improving professional skills and knowledge, networking and other supportive activities.

Avian Influenza Outbreak in Mexico
           In the June 27 issue of FarmersWeekly.com, a story noted that highly pathogenic avian influenza has been reported on three farms in Mexican state of Jalisco. The World Organization for Animal Health has confirmed the finding.
            The highly contagious disease was first found on June 13 and was confirmed on June 21. Jalisco is Mexico's highest egg producing region, with over 500 production units.
            More than one million birds are believed to be susceptible across the three farms and more than 200,000 have already died from the outbreak. A further 60,000 have been destroyed.
            Sixty poultry farms within the area of the outbreaks have been sampled in order to determine their health status and officials are establishing control measures to prevent further spread. An epidemiological investigation is now under way to identify the source of infection. To read the full text, go to: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/27/06/2012/133628/Avian-Influenza-outbreak-in-Mexico.htm

Classifications of Animals
(1) Companion animals. Licensed companion animals such as seeing-eye dogs are generally allowed to stay in Red Cross and County shelters with their owner.
(2) Domestic pets. Includes dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, small mammals (gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rabbits, potbelly pigs), reptiles, fish, and arachnids.
(3) Livestock. Large animals such as horses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats, llamas and emus will be housed in separate locations identified and pre-arranged by the DART team.
(4) Animals not allowed include wild animals, exotics, feral animals, poisonous reptiles, and endangered or threatened species.

            From Emergency Pet Shelter Manual, Big Bend DART, Tallahassee http://www.bigbenddart.org/membership_meetings_files/Big%20Bend%20DART%20Sheltering%20Manual.pdf

Citrus Greening Discovered on the West Coast
            HLB or huanglongbing, better known as citrus greening, was discovered in a backyard citrus tree in a Los Angeles home in March. This disease can spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, which is prevalent in Southern California, and poses a serious threat to our locally produced citrus and Californians' ability to grow citrus in our yards. The disease: destroys production, appearance and value of citrus trees; produces bitter, inedible, misshapen fruit; has no cure and is fatal to citrus trees. http://www.californiacitrusthreat.org/huanglongbing-citrus-greening.php
            For an update on the citrus greening threat in Florida, check out the FDACS web site http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/chrp/greening/citrusgreening.html.

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About the SART Sentinel

The SART Sentinel is an e-mail newsletter prepared monthly by the members of the Florida State Agricultural Response Team. Past issues of the Sentinel are archived on the Florida SART Web Site www.flsart.org. If you have a story or photo that you would like to have considered for publication in the SART Sentinel, please contact the editors. Editor: Rick Sapp, PhD, Technical Writer, under contract with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry rsa5@cox.net Associate Editor: Joe Kight, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry Joe.Kight@freshfromflorida.com [top]