About the Disaster Relief Fund

The Alabama Veterinary Medical Foundation has established a disaster relief fund in the wake of the recent weather disasters.  We are pleased to announce that the relief fund is now able to assist with reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses related to animal care and may be able to help with un-reimbursed damages to your practice.

Apply for Assistance
Awards for reimbursable expenses incurred in animal care may be granted up to a maximum of $2000 annually.  All requests must be submitted by an Alabama Veterinary Medical Association (ALVMA) member or veterinary medical association.  Any payment will be made directly to the ALVMA member or the appropriate veterinary medical association.  Relief efforts to assist veterinarians directly impacted through damage to their hospital will not be subject to the limit but will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Foundation Board.

CAMET Animal Sheltering Units
The Alabama Veterinary Medical Association has been actively working to keep our Disaster Animal Sheltering equipment and supplies at the ready for deployment of an event.   In 2006, the ALVMA and ALVMF applied for and received a funding opportunity with the American Veterinary Medical Association Foundation to place two disaster animal sheltering units in Alabama, called CAMET (Companion Animal Mobile Equipment Trailers). These place unique capabilities in the State of Alabama and meet a strategic need for emergency responders and communities after a disaster strikes.  Each trailer provides capabilities to set up and operate a 60-70 animal shelter, with everything from portable cages, litter boxes, and cleaning supplies to photo identification and on-site printing.
 
The CAMET trailers are staged and deployment is managed through our State Agriculture Response Team (SART) under the direction of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries in Montgomery.  These trailers were deployed to North Alabama during the tornado disaster in April 2011 and proved effective in their design and implementation.     
 
The ALVMA and the Foundation continue to strengthen this program, and have recently inventoried and restocked the CAMET trailers so that they are ready to be deployed at a moments notice. Funds for maintenance and restocking come from the Disaster Response funds in the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association Foundation. Please continue to support the Foundation, and specifically the Disaster Relief Fund so that additional capabilities can be added and maintained in the future! The ALVMA is proud of the partnership forged with the Department of Agriculture & Industries, and appreciates the support of our partners around the state.