Carbon County's Animal Response Team is trying to educate students about volunteer projects to help animals.

Recently, the volunteer organization began visiting area schools to do presentations to the junior and senior classes to introduce students to CART and what it has to offer the community; as well as possible community service and senior projects that are available."We are trying to encourage them to give CART a shot for projects and hope that they like it and will want to stay on after the project is completed," said Diane Sharpless, CART coordinator.The CART team currently has visits scheduled at Carbon Career & Technical Institute in Jim Thorpe; Lehighton; and Panther Valley. They are also in the process of setting up visits at Palmerton, Weatherly and Marian high schools.Carbon CART began in 2007 as a way to help animals during emergency situations. It is overseen by the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team, which began in 2005.The mission of CART and PASART is to protect, rescue and shelter any animal that is a companion to a Pennsylvania resident. Animals can range from household animals such as cats and dogs to farm animals like horses, llamas and emus.The team is deployed during emergencies, such as floods or large-scale fires, where animals are in need of specialized help.Sharpless said that in addition to school programs, the group is currently fundraising for its "Wag'n O2 Fur Life" pet oxygen mask kit campaign and its second annual Hogs N Horses fall foliage ride for large animal equipment.The pet oxygen masks will be given to ambulance corps. The cost for each kit is $75 and can be designated to an ambulance corps. Kits include three sizes of oxygen masks, air tubes, carry bag, leash, instructional DVD and more.Hogs N Horses is the group's largest fundraiser and is scheduled for Sept. 20.Carbon and Schuylkill CARTs are working together to raise $12,000 to purchase large animal equipment needed for rescues.For more information on donating to the pet oxygen mask campaign, to become a sponsor of the Hogs N Horses fall foliage ride, or on ways to join the group, contact Sharpless at 570-778-6886 or

deeja@ptd.net or Michele Beckett, fundraising co-chair, at

chigger@ptd.net.