In the News

Sonoma CART’s work in animal disaster and emergency response has been featured by local and regional media. Explore recent news stories highlighting our work, partnerships, volunteers, and response efforts throughout Sonoma County.

September 17, 2026 | County of Sonoma, SoCo Chat
Sonoma CART, Keeping Animals Safe When Disaster Strikes

In this episode of SoCo Chat, Sonoma CART Community Outreach Manager Angie Martin talks with the County of Sonoma about Sonoma CART’s role during disasters, how the team works alongside Sonoma County Animal Services and local agencies, what animal families can do to prepare for an emergency, and ways to support Sonoma CART.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

July 30, 2026 | San Francisco Chronicle
Growing Forest Fire Closes Highway 1 in Sonoma County

As the Woodside Fire prompted evacuations along the Sonoma Coast, the San Francisco Chronicle included Sonoma CART as the resource for people who needed help evacuating pets and small animals.

Read the full article

June 3, 2025 | UC Davis CVET
Lessons from this Weekend's Earthquake Simulation Drill

Sonoma CART joined animal response teams, fire and law enforcement, emergency managers, veterinary professionals, and sheltering organizations for a large scale Sonoma County earthquake and fire simulation focused on emergency coordination, temporary sheltering, and animal care.

June 17, 2024 | CBS News San Francisco / KPIX
Hundreds Evacuated, Structures Burn as Point Fire Grows Past 1,000 Acres

During the Point Fire near Lake Sonoma, CBS News directed residents who needed help evacuating large animals to the Sonoma CART hotline as evacuation orders expanded across the Dry Creek Valley.

Read the CBS News Story

August 19, 2021 | Plumas County Sheriff’s Office / Office of Emergency Services
Plumas County Animal Services Receives Regional Veterinary Support

During the Dixie Fire, Sonoma CART joined Napa CART and other regional responders in supporting Plumas County Animal Services as teams rescued, housed, and cared for thousands of animals affected by the disaster.

Read the Plumas County release

October 29, 2020 | USA TODAY / Animalkind
Donkey Runs to Owner After Surviving Wildfire

After the 2020 Glass Fire, Sonoma CART helped locate Mango, a missing miniature donkey, and reunite him with his family. The emotional reunion was featured by USA TODAY’s Animalkind and reached a national audience.

Read the USA Today story

August 25, 2020 | Reuters
Nonprofit Takes in Sonoma's Farm Animals Amid California's Devastating Fires

Reuters documented Sonoma CART’s wildfire response as volunteers helped evacuate and shelter animals including dogs, cats, horses, goats, alpacas, llamas, chickens, sheep, and emus. Sonoma CART reported helping more than 1,400 animals during the disaster.

Watch the Reuters story

May 2, 2019 | UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security
Owners of Goat Farm Highlight Role of Disaster Recovery

In one of the earliest articles mentioning the developing Sonoma Community Animal Response Team, Dr. Amber Bowen discusses lessons learned from disaster animal response and the work underway to build a local team prepared to respond and recover from future emergencies.

Read the UC Davis story

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Supporting our community and their animals before, during, and after disasters and emergencies in Sonoma County and beyond.

http://www.sonomacart.org/

Now is the time to ensure you, your family, and your pets are prepared. Learn more at sonomacart.org/resources

10/15/26: 🚨 RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING 🚨

The National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area has issued a Red Flag Warning for the North Bay Interior Mountains from 10 PM Thursday until 11 AM Friday.
Key Weather Details:
Winds: Northerly winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Highest peaks could see gusts up to 60 mph.
Humidity: Relative humidity dropping to between 15% and 20%.
Fuels: Vegetation and fuels remain critically dry.
Impacts & Safety:
These conditions will create an increased risk for rapid fire starts and aggressive fire spread. Exercise extreme fire safety precautions—avoid open flames or outdoor equipment that could create sparks. Ensure campfires are completely extinguished. Check your emergency supplies and have your go-bag ready. Stay alert, listen to local officials, and follow any evacuation orders promptly. Stay weather-aware and stay safe!

Are you and your animals prepared in case of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)?

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is monitoring a potential dry offshore wind event forecasted to start Wednesday evening, October 14 through Saturday evening October 17. The strongest winds are expected in the Sierra, southern Central Coast and portions of the North and East Bay. Given this wind event and current dry conditions, including extremely dried vegetation, PG&E sent one-day advance notifications Tuesday [10/13] afternoon to customers in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized powerlines.

Here are some tips to help ensure you and your animals are prepared in case of a PSPS:

✅Ensure your supplies such as water, food, etc. can last a minimum of 5 days
✅Confirm microchips are registered with up-to-date information
✅Print out veterinary records and animal identification sheets with current photographs as battery power for laptops and phones may be limited
✅Set up coolers in advance for food and medications that need to be kept cold
✅Ensure you have back up lighting sources (and batteries) such as lanterns, flashlights, headlamps, etc.
✅Secure fuel for generators and vehicles as gas stations may be closed
✅Open (or know how to manually open) electric gates and garage doors

To get address alerts for PSPS visit https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outage.../get-psps-alerts/

Learn more at SonomaCart.org/resources

#SonomaCounty #SonomaCART

We love our volunteers! They are the heart of our organization. Whether it’s attending outreach events, spending hours at trainings, or activating during the early morning hours to safely rescue animals in need, they are dedicated to helping ensure all animals affected by disasters and emergencies have the best possible opportunities for positive outcomes.

If you’re interested in learning more about Sonoma CART visit our website at SonomaCart.org

It's been 9 years since the Tubbs/Atlas Fires swept through Sonoma and Napa Counties. On Sunday, October 8, 2017, we went to sleep not knowing that our lives would never be the same.

On October 9, when the sun rose, through the smoky skies and falling ash, through the devastation and destruction, our community would rise together and know wholeheartedly the meaning of being Sonoma County Strong.

Community members who had lost homes, were volunteering to help others in need. County, State, and National Organizations donated time and supplies to help people who needed them the most.

And hundreds of volunteers donated money, time, and hearts to help thousands of animals in need at Animal Services and the local Fairgrounds.

Sonoma Community Animal Response Team was born from the ash, from the devastation of the 2017 North Bay Fires. Finding strength in the hope that we could build a team to help people and their animals before, during, and after disasters and emergencies.

And today, 9 years later, we still believe in our strength as a community, in our mission to help ensure all animals affected by disasters or emergencies have the best possible opportunities for positive outcomes.

We remember and honor the lives lost. And we are grateful to be a community team in service to our community.

Learn more about Sonoma CART at SonomaCART.org

#SonomaCountyStrong

Six years ago, Sonoma CART supported our Sonoma County community through the LNU Complex fires and the Glass Fire.

Today, we’re preparing our teams through training opportunities, and helping our community through outreach and education, ensuring animals have the best possible opportunities for positive outcomes in Sonoma County and beyond.

Did you know that Sonoma CART is the only animal response team in Sonoma County authorized to partner with first responders to safely evacuate, shelter in place, and/or transport large and small animals during disasters or emergencies in affected areas?

Learn more at SonomaCART.org

Thank you to our first responders and @sonomasheriff for safely escorting our teams to this location to evacuate horses alongside a highway in 2020.

#sonomacounty #sonomacountystrong

Earlier today, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Sonoma County Animal Services, and Sonoma CART worked together to strategize, plan, and prepare for the animal component of future disasters and emergencies in Sonoma County.

Led by Sonoma County Animal Services, and approved by the local jurisdiction, Sonoma CART is the only animal response team in Sonoma County authorized to partner with first responders to safely evacuate, shelter in place, and/or transport large and small animals during disasters or emergencies in affected areas.

The Fairgrounds serves as a vital emergency response hub and multi-use community asset, operating within regional disaster-readiness and resiliency frameworks.

Working together, we strengthen our collective ability to prepare for and respond to incidents helping ensure the best possible outcomes for all animals in Sonoma County and beyond.

#sonomacounty #sonomacountystrong

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In the News

September 17, 2026 | County of Sonoma, SoCo Chat Sonoma CART, Keeping Animals Safe When Disaster Strikes

July 30, 2026 | San Francisco Chronicle Growing Forest Fire Closes Highway 1 in Sonoma County

June 3, 2025 | UC Davis CVET Lessons from this Weekend's Earthquake Simulation Drill

June 17, 2024 | CBS News San Francisco / KPIX Hundreds Evacuated, Structures Burn as Point Fire Grows Past 1,000 Acres

August 19, 2021 | Plumas County Sheriff’s Office / Office of Emergency Services Plumas County Animal Services Receives Regional Veterinary Support

October 29, 2020 | USA TODAY / Animalkind Donkey Runs to Owner After Surviving Wildfire

August 25, 2020 | Reuters Nonprofit Takes in Sonoma's Farm Animals Amid California's Devastating Fires

May 2, 2019 | UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security Owners of Goat Farm Highlight Role of Disaster Recovery

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