Florida State Animal Response Coalition

08/29/2026

Thank you to all who attended the Ziggy's Haven Bird Sanctuary, Inc sponsored Awareness Course today!! .

08/29/2026

We are in Citrus County Today!!

Florida SARC is excited to be in Citrus County today for our Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Awareness Course, proudly sponsored by ’s Haven Bird Sanctuary

Today’s course provides participants with the knowledge needed to support small animal sheltering during emergencies and other large-scale hoarding and cruelty cases.
From understanding how emergency animal shelters fit into the larger incident response structure to animal care, safety, documentation, shelter operations, and responder responsibilities, this training helps communities build capability before an emergency happens.

A huge THANK YOU to Ziggy's Haven Bird Sanctuary, Inc for sponsoring today’s training and investing in disaster preparedness for Citrus County and the animals who call this community home. ❤️🐶🐱🦜 ziggyshaven .com

Want to bring Florida SARC's training to your community, shelter or rescue? [email protected]

FLSARC .org to find upcoming training opportunities.

08/24/2026

This Saturday's class with Ziggy's Haven Bird Sanctuary, Inc is full but make sure to sign up for online instructor let's zoom class. We also are going to have an opportunity in Jacksonville and fort Myers Florida coming soon!

08/24/2026

🌀 TROPICAL UPDATE — DISTURBANCE 2

Florida SARC is continuing to monitor Disturbance 2 as we move through the active portion of hurricane season.

At this stage, an area being identified by the National Hurricane Center does not mean that a storm will develop or that Florida will be impacted. It does mean this is a good time to stay aware and make sure your household — including your pets — is prepared.

🐾 Take a few minutes today to check your pet preparedness supplies:

• Food and water
• Medications and veterinary information
• Leashes, collars and identification
• Carriers or crates
• Vaccination records
• Recent photos of your pets
• A plan for where you will go if evacuation becomes necessary

🚨 FLORIDA SARC RESPONDERS

While there is no deployment or activation at this time, we are asking responders to begin looking ahead approximately 7 days from today and consider your potential availability should conditions change and a request for assistance be received.

Now is the time to begin making preliminary arrangements with your family, employer, pet sitter, or others who may need to know if you become available for deployment.

Please also make a moment to make sure your personal preparedness plans are in place and that your responder information, required documentation, and deployment gear are ready.

Do not self-deploy. Any potential mission information or official availability requests will be communicated directly through Florida SARC.

Florida SARC will continue monitoring the tropics and sharing information as conditions develop.

Preparedness starts long before there is a storm at our doorstep. 🐾🌀

08/21/2026

🐾 HELP SPCA FLORIDA WIN UP TO $10,000! 🐾

Did you know that the Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FL SARC) is a program of SPCA Florida? Now we need your help supporting the shelter that supports our mission!

SPCA Florida is in the 2026 People’s Choice Wagsies Awards, celebrating the incredible work animal shelters do every day for pets and the communities they serve. ❤️

Your vote could help SPCA Florida receive up to $10,000 in financial support from Hill’s Pet Nutrition — funding that can make a real difference for animals in need.

🗳️ And you can vote EVERY 24 HOURS!

Watch the videos, vote for your favorite in each category, and then come back tomorrow and do it again!

Every vote is an opportunity to support FLORIDA SARC and SPCA Florida and the lifesaving work happening for animals throughout our community.

https://www.hillspet.com/wagsies-awards?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4YkNIQzduUllWV0VFbkt5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrnnJpR4dIqtphniJE1SwQXOZX-_MdXao4kGSJLag9_HGVZjGJBXTsymkE3S_aem_6yeCDDcfo_vr-TLnY_n6qw

🏆 Winners will be announced the week of October 26.

Help us spread the word! Vote, share this post, and remind your friends to vote every 24 hours.

🐶🐱 Together, we can help bring a Wagsies win home to SPCA Florida!

Check out the 2026 dog & cat nominees for the People’s Choice Wagsies Awards, brought to you by Hill’s & The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

08/20/2026

🐾 Did you know Florida SARC is a program of SPCA Florida?

The Florida State Animal Response Coalition (Florida SARC) is proud to be a program of SPCA Florida, based in Lakeland, Florida.

While Florida SARC focuses on preparing for and responding to emergencies involving animals, the work happening every day at SPCA Florida is just as important — providing veterinary services, sheltering, animal care, adoption services, and support for animals and the people who love them.

And right now, SPCA Florida has full-time and part-time positions available for the right candidates!

🩺 Veterinary Positions

- Outpatient Veterinary Technician
- Surgery Veterinary Technician
- Veterinary Client Service Representative

🐶🐱 Shelter Positions

- Animal Care – Canine Team
- Animal Care – Feline

If you have a passion for animals and want your work to make a difference, consider becoming part of the SPCA Florida team in Lakeland, Florida.

When you join SPCA Florida, you're also becoming part of the organization that makes the statewide mission of Florida SARC possible.

Help animals every day. Support a mission that reaches far beyond the shelter walls. Join SPCA Florida. 🐾

08/13/2026

🐾 A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT IN SURRY COUNTY, VIRGINIA

For many people in animal welfare, the name Surry County, Virginia, may sound familiar.

Nearly two decades ago, this community became nationally known following the discovery of the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation associated with NFL quarterback Michael Vick—a case that brought tremendous attention to animal cruelty, animal welfare, and the responsibility we have to protect animals in our communities.

Today, we’re in Surry County for a very different reason.

The Florida State Animal Response Coalition is here providing our Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Level 1 Awareness and Level 2 Operations training, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Over three days, emergency management personnel from here and the surrounding counties, animal control officers and state of Virginia Emergency Management personnel are building the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to safely shelter, manage, and care for animals when disaster strikes building another layer of protection for the people they serve.

There is something meaningful about standing in a community once thrust into the national spotlight because of animal suffering and now seeing people come together to strengthen their ability to protect animals during emergencies.

Communities are not defined solely by the difficult moments in their history. They are also defined by what they do moving forward.

Today in Surry County, that means education, preparedness, collaboration, and a commitment to protecting both people and their animals when they need help most.

🐾 More trained responders means more animals saved.

08/13/2026

Day 3 — The Final Day! 🐾🚨

We’re wrapping up three incredible days in Surry County, Virginia, with our Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Awareness & Operations training!

Today, participants are putting their knowledge into action—building the skills, leadership, and confidence needed to support animals and their communities when disaster strikes.

A huge thank you to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Surry County for making this training possible!


📸 Here are a few moments from the trip!

More trained responders. More prepared communities. More animals saved. 🐾

08/11/2026

FL SARC Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Awareness Course – Beverly Hills, FL

We’re getting closer! The Florida State Animal Response Coalition (FL SARC) Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Awareness – Level 1 Course is fast approaching, and registration is still open. We have very limited seating available for this class sponsored by Ziggy’s Haven & Parrot Rescue a leading Citrus County Humane Organization for the last 13 years who wants you to be part of it.


📍 Course Information
Small Animal Emergency Sheltering – Awareness Level 1
📅 Saturday, August 29, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

📍 Beverly Hills Community Center
1 Civic Circle
Beverly Hills, FL 34465

This course provides participants with the foundational knowledge needed to support small animal emergency sheltering operations during disasters and other emergencies.

Participants will learn about topics including:
The role of emergency animal sheltering in disaster response
Florida's emergency response structure and the role of animal response organizations
Basic emergency shelter organization and design.
Personal protective equipment and responder safety
Animal basic behavior considerations
Disease prevention and biosecurity
Volunteer responsibilities and working within an organized emergency response
The importance of preparedness before a disaster occurs

Sign up : https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/jvbj664/lp/6b101c4d-2ae9-4a3e-a6c5-51cf19e3c380

Want to be a FL SARC responder. Get a jump of training and have a valid tetanus with in the last 10 years and complete you FEMA is100 course.

https://training.fema.gov/programs/independent-study/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-100.c&lang=en0

The Florida State Animal Response Coalition in Partnership with Ziggy's Haven a 501c3 non-profit Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary are pleased to bring you a sponsored, FDME Certified Awareness Level Small Animal Disaster and Emergency Sheltering Course in Citrus County, Florida. Prerequisites: Age 18+ OPEN...

08/11/2026

🐾 FLORIDA SARC TRAINING IN VIRGINIA! 🇺🇸

Florida SARC is proud to be in Surry County, Virginia, delivering our Small Animal Emergency Sheltering Level 1 Awareness & Level 2 Operations Combo Course, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).

Over three days, participants will move from the foundations of emergency animal sheltering into the operational, position-specific knowledge needed to help establish and operate a safe, effective temporary emergency animal shelter.

🐾 Level 1 – Awareness builds the foundation, including:
• Understanding the disaster response process
• Preparing for deployment
• Temporary emergency shelter setup and design
• Animal behavior and stress
• Daily animal care
• Disease and parasite recognition
• Cleaning, disinfecting, and biosecurity
• Shelter demobilization and cleanup

🐾 Level 2 – Operations takes that knowledge further, preparing participants for the realities of working within an operational emergency animal shelter. The course focuses on position-specific responsibilities, shelter organization, documentation, biosecurity and decontamination, animal handling, operational problem-solving, and working as part of a coordinated disaster response.

This training is about more than learning how to set up cages and care for animals. It is about building the people, knowledge, systems, and partnerships communities need before disaster strikes.

We are grateful to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for sponsoring this training and to Surry County Emergency Management for hosting us at the Surry County Emergency Operations Center.

Disasters don't stop at state lines — and neither should preparedness. By sharing knowledge and strengthening partnerships across state boundaries, we are helping build a larger network of trained professionals who can protect both people and their animals when communities need them most.

🐾 More trained responders means more animals saved.