Empire State Animal Response Team

Empire State Animal Response Team
About the Empire State Animal Response Team
Providing rapid assistance

The Empire State Animal Response Team (ESART) Program supports the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies affecting animals in New York State. ESART was created through a private-public partnership to serve as a unifying network of organizations, businesses, government agencies, and individuals dedicated to animal safety and emergency response. The program is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Because disaster response begins and ends at the local level, ESART promotes the creation of County Animal Response Teams (CARTs).  ESART provides support to CARTs through specialized training opportunities, planning guidance, and resource coordination, and by providing information concerning regulatory actions and best practices that may be useful to county teams. CARTs are the actual responding units that are activated and deployed by county emergency management during disasters. 

Get Involved
Join a CART as a volunteer

Just like other first responder groups, your county's Animal Response Team needs volunteers like you to learn and train together, to be ready to respond if a disaster occurs. 

View a list of CARTs

There are nearly 30 County Animal Response Teams in New York State. Contact yours to learn more about animal emergency preparedness.

Manage a CART
Counties: Learn how to manage or create a CART
The ability to provide rapid, professional assistance at the local level can mean the difference between a successful response and a tragedy. ESART provides assistance to county emergency managers for CART development and coordination, as well as training opportunities for CART volunteers and more.