Moved by the stories told by Texas ranchers after Hurricane Ike of their devastating loss and misplaced animals, Dr. Dee Ellis, Texas state veterinarian and executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), helped create the Horseback Emergency Response Team in 2012.
The primary duty of the response team is to locate, contain, identify and move abandoned, stray or injured livestock in the aftermath of a disaster. The team is comprised of TAHC livestock inspectors and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mounted patrol inspectors, reports Southwest Farm Press.
Luckily since the team’s creation, no hurricanes have hit the Texas coast, so recently a mock “call to action” was conducted on the Texas border near Zapata to evaluate response time and preparedness. The Texas Rangers, Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Customs Border Protection and Security units and other agencies were consulted as the team prepares for various types of disasters, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires and border security issues.
We are ready in a moment’s notice to dispatch to every corner of Texas or any state along the Gulf Coast or elsewhere if there is a need. We have made that known to other emergency officials in other states. And we are not just limited to animal rescues or rounding up strays but are willing to help out with human rescues or search and rescue. We will get off our horses and direct traffic or help out law enforcement if necessary, Ellis said.