Pueblo County CART cares for over 1,000 animals during ‘Aspen Acres’ fire

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Since day one of the "Aspen Acres" fire, the Pueblo County Community Animal Response Team (CART) has been helping bring animals from the evacuation zone to the Pueblo County fairgrounds. 

Over the past few weeks, hundreds of animals were taken to safety during evacuations. 

CART works alongside residents and first responders to get larger livestock animals like horses, cows, and sheep to safety.

The team is comprised of a small staff and several volunteers, and they do far more than get animals out ahead of the fire. 

"About ten percent of the animals on (the) ground are still here today because my team went in, along with first responders, and pulled animals out as the fire continued to rage," said Beth Hayes, a member of CART. "And we've continued to go back as the animals have been found in black, and we're not sure who they belong to, but they need help."

According to CART, they had nearly 1,400 animals at the El Paso County fairgrounds. 

They say their priority is not just getting the animals to safety, but also keeping them in a safe space and making sure they stay happy.

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