Donations, totaling $13,500, came from the Rose Country Retriever Club, DFW Dachshund Rescue, English Cocker Spaniel Club of America Health and Rescue Organization, Hunter Hogan Foundation, Smith County Animal Shelter, Rozell Sprayers, and MuttNation. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Smith County on Wednesday morning proudly unveiled its new Pet Disaster Relief Trailer, a generous donation from the American Kennel Club (AKC). This mobile unit, designed to provide immediate shelter and care for pets during emergencies, represents a significant advancement in disaster preparedness and community support.

“If there’s something bad happening — whether it’s floods, tornadoes … anything like that — oftentimes pets are the ones that no one really thought about,” said Smith County Judge Neal Franklin. “Pets are family and … this helps keep people and their pets together.”

During emergencies, individuals often hesitate to leave their homes if they cannot bring their pets along. By providing a mobile trailer to house pets, this new resource not only ensures safety of the animals but also supports their owners in seeking the help they need.

“During a disaster, if people are displaced and want to bring their pets with them and there’s a shelter location that does not allow pets in the actual facility, this will enable people to be with their pets,” said Brandon Moore, Smith County Emergency Management coordinator.

The trailer, the 113th of its kind from AKC Reunite, was delivered on July 26 to Smith County. It will be deployed to local disaster scenes to support the sheltering of pets in emergencies.

“It came fully stocked,” Moore said. “It’s got everything from kennels to collars to a printer, pens, paper … we could literally deploy it right now anywhere we need it.”

The trailer and its contents are supported by local donations totaling $13,500. Contributions came from the Rose Country Retriever Club, DFW Dachshund Rescue, English Cocker Spaniel Club of America Health and Rescue Organization, Hunter Hogan Foundation, Smith County Animal Shelter, Rozell Sprayers, and MuttNation.

“We really appreciate those that donated,” Moore said. “Some donated $1,000, some donated $500 … for a nonprofit or small business, that’s not a small chunk of change. We could not have done it without them.”

AKC Pet Disaster Relief is a nationwide program sponsored by AKC Reunite, the country’s largest nonprofit microchip identification and recovery service. AKC Reunite partners with AKC Dog Clubs and pet lovers across the country to make such donations possible.

“We’re very appreciative … this means a lot for Smith County because … there’s so many animal lovers out here, including myself and my wife … pets are family and we want to make sure we take care of them, even in disaster time,” Franklin said. “If my wife had to choose to (rescue) me or our dog, I’m probably out.”

The equipment in the AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailers helps create a safe, temporary home for at least 65 pets during the first 72 hours after a disaster is declared. The trailers come equipped with essential animal care items including crates and carriers, AKC Reunite microchips and an AKC Reunite universal microchip scanner, bowls, collars, leashes, fans, lighting, a generator, and cleaning supplies. These supplies can be used for co-location shelters where people can evacuate with their pets or as emergency animal shelters for displaced animals.

“We are so thankful to the clubs who have helped make this donation to Smith County,” Tom Sharp, President & CEO of AKC Reunite, said in a press release. “This area of Texas is prone to extreme weather, and just last month had a disaster declaration. This life-saving equipment will be there to help the people and pets affected by future storms and other emergencies.”

The trailer will be housed at the Smith County Emergency Operations Center until it is needed.