Animal response team educates people at the fair
Members of Carbon County Animal Response Team demonstrate a sling to lift Chocolate the Service Horse at the Carbon County Fair Wednesday. From left are Pam Poeldnurk of Nesquehoning, Raelene Eckley of Albrightsville and Frank Beckett of East Penn Township. Scan this photo with the Prindeo app for a explanation of using a glide board to bring a horse up a hill. MARTA GOUGER/TIMES NEWS
Pam Poeldnurk of Nesquehoning demonstrates an interactive “Pull a String/Save a Pet” display at the Carbon County Fair in Lehighton. Learning about the animals from left are, Benjamin Sensinger, 11, of Pennsburg; Allee Maini, 11, of Lehighton and Emilia Sensinger, 12, of Pennsburg. MARTA GOUGER/TIMES NEWS
Most people know who to talk to if they have a medical emergency, but not to call if they have an animal that needs to be rescued.
That’s where Carbon County Animal Rescue Team steps in.
As the Carbon County Fair winds down today, volunteers are on site demonstrating techniques they use to free horses, pigs, cattle and other large animals.
With a fabricated horse made from plastic drums, co-coordinator Frank Beckett demonstrates a sling to lift animals from a ditch. Sometimes a Becker Sling and a backhoe are needed to get under the animal to lift them up.
He talked about a horse who was stuck in a narrow ditch in Mahoning and assisting state police in a seizure of horses during a snowstorm. Beckett even got a call to help corral bulls on the loose on the northern end of the county.
But this week was about educating people about the organization and its role.
“There are differences between rescues and responses and getting a cat out of tree,” Beckett said. CART’s role is to step in to save animals in situations where expertise is needed.
The agency is dispatched through the 9-1-1 center.
A local chapter of the PA State Animal Response Team, Carbon CART is a coordinated effort between several governmental, corporate, and private entities dedicated to the preparation, planning, response, rescue, and recovery of animals during emergencies in Carbon and surrounding counties.
Carbon CART is also available to assist other counties and states in emergencies.
Beckett is working with the American Red Cross and the Emergency Management Agency to set up disaster plans for shelters.
The group is also working with real estate offices and community associations to get maps of developments so members know where they are going in an emergency.
Recently some members attended a four-day course at Penn State, where they had a chance to work with live farm animals. “It’s different when you work with animals that are 900 to 1,000 pounds,” said Pam Poeldnurk of Nesquehoning. It’s her second year working with the organization.
“I’ve always had a love of animals and wanted to help,” she said.
Rounding up bulls can be a tough chore. “In a bull chase, you learn to make yourself big and slow to respond,” Beckett said.
Raelene Eckley worked with another pet organization when she learned about CART. She saw a chance to combine her knowledge from growing up on a farm with her passion for animals.
The organization is always looking for volunteers and donations of equipment such as horse leads and a horse glide. Monetary donations go toward equipment and pet oxygen masks to donate to fire companies.
Most important is the training. “I’d rather be prepared and have nothing happen than to not be prepared and have something happen,” Beckett said.
