Tony Stewart: Racing at Dover with an Eye on Oklahoma

When a deadly EF5 tornado roared through Moore, Okla., May 20, lives were shattered and property was destroyed. Amid the chaos immediately surrounding the tornado, families searched for loved ones.

Some of those loved ones were of the four-legged variety, ranging from beloved family pets to valuable farm animals. More than a week after the tornado cut a two-mile wide swath of destruction across Moore, children are being reunited with their pets and farmers are able to reclaim lost livestock. Reuniting people with their animals is Code 3 Associates, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas.

Longmont, Colo.-based Code 3 Associates has been a partner of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2012, where the collaboration has led to increased recognition for the efforts of Code 3 Associates and, in turn, increased donations to the national response team that at the request of local government officials provides animal rescue and recovery during any kind of disaster.

That collaboration takes center stage this weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway when Tony Stewart carries Code 3 Associates on his No. 14 Chevrolet throughout the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Just a day after the tornado struck Moore, Code 3 Associates dispatched BART, the mobile command center that stands for Big Animal Rescue Truck, to Oklahoma where it was staged outside Oklahoma City before getting deployment orders to move into Moore. Since entering the city of more than 55,000 people, Code 3 Associates has assisted local animal control officers who have been inundated with stray, injured and displaced animals, a massive effort that is being coordinated by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

While human relief and recovery efforts always take precedence in a disaster, animal relief is also needed. Code 3 Associates has evolved from one unpaid volunteer to approximately 75 professional responders around the country, which includes animal welfare, law enforcement, fire, EMS and veterinary specialists from the United States and Canada. While its focus is animals and their owners, Code 3 Associates trains its responders to the standards of human rescue, and Code 3 Associates also provides training to conduct thorough investigations into animal welfare, all of which is accredited by Colorado State University (CSU) and the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Code 3 Associates’ logo and slogan, “Riders On The Storm Animal Rescue Team,” is a familiar one to many, particularly in the Midwest. When a devastating tornado struck Joplin, Mo., in 2011, Code 3 Associates arrived shortly thereafter. Code 3 Associates remained in Joplin before being called to Pierre, N.D., where severe flooding from the Missouri River necessitated the specialty work of Code 3 Associates for nearly two months. The organization’s recent work in Moore is another example the group’s commitment to animal welfare.

Those wanting to learn more about Code 3 Associates and what they can do to support its mission can do so by visiting www.Code3Associates.org.

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