HAHNVILLE — St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter staff recently attended the Louisiana Partnership Animal Responder Boot Camp for training.

“There were great agencies present, and we sought to seize this opportunity to further train staff to handle animal evacuations, rescues and post emergency sheltering,” Animal Control Supervisor Dr. Jena Troxler said.

“Several influential groups came together to make this a highly impactful week that will undoubtedly better prepare our parish for disaster situations.”

Members of the Animal Shelter staff were certified in safety guidelines set by the National Fire Protection Association.

Staff also received operator certifications in animal search and rescue.

The staff took the following courses:

• Pet evacuation & shelter training

• Slack water rescue procedures

• Large animal handling

The Louisiana Partnership Animal Responder Boot Camp is a five-day camp that is geared toward training animal control officers, veterinary technicians, veterinary students, LSU SVM graduate students and LSART responders.

The agencies present at the boot camp included the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART), Code 3 responders, Animal Search and Rescue (ASAR), American Humane, ASPCA, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).