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Several people examine and care for a horse

Support for Auburn's Veterinary Emergency Response Team on Tiger Giving Day will assist animals and people during emergencies and natural disasters, bringing hope in hopeless situations.

Dr. Chance Armstrong’s life was forever changed in the aftermath of a fluke storm in Louisiana.

Today, he is an associate clinical professor in Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine, but in 2016, he was a resident and faculty member with Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. During that time, an unnamed storm system caused 13 deaths and $10 billion in losses, dumping three times as much rain on Louisiana as the historic 2005 Hurricane Katrina.

It was devastating for the communities affected, and for Armstrong, it was a sentinel moment.

As the storm hovered over the beleaguered state, he and a student launched a boat into the floodwaters from an underwater Chili’s restaurant parking lot. They set course for Denham Springs, Louisiana, to find a group of horses stranded by the storm. Instead, they encountered a wheelchair-bound woman in water up to her shins. She was in shock, clutching her dog and her wedding photo album — the only items she could save from the destruction.

Armstrong’s plans quickly changed from assessing horses miles away to saving the woman and her dog who were in front of them.

Animal and human health are often intertwined, and he witnessed firsthand the devastation a natural disaster leaves behind for people and animals. This not only prompted him to volunteer during the disaster but also changed the trajectory of his career.

“I’ll never forget that day and all the things we saw,” Armstrong said. “I don’t think I have ever done anything in veterinary medicine more profound than what we did that day. And that’s when I said, ‘I need to get more training because I want to do this with my life.’”

Since then, he has become FEMA trained in both slack and swift water rescue scenarios, meaning he can assist in varying levels of water from a still water pond to more dangerous floodwater conditions like those seen in the recent tragedy in Kerrville, Texas. He is also building Auburn’s Veterinary Emergency Response Team (AVERT) to operate tactically and strategically during natural disasters. The 45-member team includes Auburn faculty and students as well as veterinarians throughout the state. They provide supplies and deploy to sites when requested, assisting veterinarians, state and local governments and organizations committed to helping affected people and animals.

“The ultimate goal for our team is to provide hope in hopeless situations,” he said. “And this is the true essence of being a veterinarian and serving.”

According to the Animal Welfare Institute, millions of animals die each year because of natural disasters. Tiger Giving Day, Auburn University’s 24-hour online fundraising event, is focused on changing lives on campus, in our communities and across the state. During this year’s Tiger Giving Day on Sept. 10, the Auburn Family can have a life-saving impact in these dire situations by equipping AVERT with a trailer and supplies to help rescue animals, and often, people, too, when disaster strikes.

“People see these disasters and immediately think, ‘What can I do to help?” Armstrong said. “We know not everyone can go to the site and help with search and rescue, but by supporting those who are, the Auburn Family can be there.”

Support AVERT's life-saving work!

Tiger Giving Day is Sept. 10!