2024, It’s been a busy year!

It’s been an exciting year for our friends at the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association (BARTA), with remarkable progress in animal rescue and safety education.

BARTA played a key role at the Paris Olympics 2024, joining the equine safety and rescue team for the cross-country event at Versailles. Fortunately, no horses required rescue, however, skills of Paris firefighters’ animal rescue team were tested when a deer entered the canal in front of 5,000 spectators. Thanks to a quick response, the situation was calmly managed.

Closer to home, following an incident with a loose cow, BARTA have joined an advisory group consisting of Surrey Roads Policing, the National Police Rural Crime Unit, NFU and the British Cattle Vets Association, fostering new safety initiatives to support police responders.

Training this year includes fire service Responder, Team Leader and Instructor courses. We have piloted a new practical livestock CPD course in Northamptonshire. The two day module looked at deer, sheep and cattle behaviors and handling. Our event responder and instructor courses for racecourse ground staff, fire safety training for RSPCA animal centres and vet responder courses have all been popular throughout 2024. On the international stage, BARTA has supported courses in Belgium, France, Ireland and Saudi Arabia.

Here Jim Green, our Director of Operations looks back at a busy year;