VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAM (VET

The Texas A&M VET serves the state and nation every day through deployments of the largest and most sophisticated veterinary response team in the country. It provides service-oriented educational opportunities for veterinary students through collaborations with Texas agencies and jurisdictions, and build regional preparedness/response capabilities through partnerships with other Texas A&M University System universities and private-sector veterinary medical professionals. The VET continues to support the Texas Task Forces by providing veterinary medical support to their canine teams during trainings and deployments. It also helps Texas communities develop emergency plans for animals.

Overview

Texas was fortunate in 2021 and the VET did not have a full deployment to an emergency situation. However, it was still a busy year, highlighted by the team’s first involvement in Operation Lone Star, one of the nation’s largest humanitarian events. The team also made seven trips to the Texas Panhandle to work with feedlots on secure beef supply plans, as well as working with a number of counties on creating and improving their emergency operations.

2021 Deployments

Operation Lone Star – Raymondville, Texas

• 7 days • 60+ people • 735 animals

Sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Operation Lone Star is an annual preparedness exercise that started in 1999 to give emergency response teams a chance to set up and operate clinics similar to what would be used in a public health emergency. To also give the teams the experience of working with patients in the field, the exercise provides services to the nearby population and, as a result, has become one of the nation’s largest humanitarian efforts.

The VET’s presence was the first time there was a veterinary component to the operation, and the response was huge. In fact, at the site in Raymondville, the VET treated more animals than the DSHS treated people.

New Capabilities

Operation Lone Star was the first time the VET got to put its newest vehicle to use. In May 2021, the Banfield Foundation donated a new 28-foot evacation trailer, which will give the VET the ability to go into heavily impacted areas and transport animals to a safer location. Along with 44 kennels, it features an onboard generator, two rooftop air conditioning units, a 30-gallon freshwater tank, and exterior flood lights that will allow the vehicle to be used in any conditions. At Operation Lone Star the trailer helped keep animals cool while waiting on their owners to return. DVM students at Operation Lone Star

DVM students at Operation Lone Star

DVM students at Operation Lone Star