Disaster and Recovery Team - The Humane Society and Adoption Center at PAWS

The Okaloosa Disaster Animal Rescue Team (D.A.R.T.) responds to disasters in whatever way is needed. Sometimes we offer help to a local animal shelter. Other times we provide rescue assistance, removing animals from danger zones and when necessary, setting up a temporary animal shelters and command center.

Assisting the animal victims of disasters is not a matter of animal needs over human needs. The bond between people and the animals they care about are strong. When we help animals who are caught in a disaster; we help the people who care about them.

We urge pet owners to develop a disaster plan that includes their pets and to make advance provisions to ensure that their pets have shelter in case of an emergency.

Officer Rudder, President George Bush, and Dee
Thompson-Poirrier during the aftermath of Hurricane
Charlie, in Punta Gorda Coast in August 2004.

Animals need no longer be the forgotten victims of disaster. Pet owners, government agencies, and disaster-relief and animal protection organizations can use education, planning, and coordination to evacuate, shelter, and care for animals when disaster strikes. Through the work of the Okaloosa D.A.R.T. and the support of people who care, we can protect animals from disaster.

Hurricane Photo Gallery

Thank You From Hurricane Victims

The Kutos family were victims of Hurricane Katrina and were forced to leave their pets behind. Their story was featured in Time Magazine and the Atlanta Journal.

September 30, 2005

Dear Dee,
I will never be able to thank you for all that you did. I have enclosed the newspaper article about the Humane Society and also an article from Time Magazine. My son and his father owned three of the cats you saved as well as the dog you found in my attic with Danny. You did a much better job with the animals than anyone did for my son and his father. We’re all fine now so I won’t complain.

Thank you again for your loving care of all the animals.
Becky Kutos