Most people have some version of an emergency plan for themselves.
They know where to go if there is a wildfire warning. Likewise, they have thought about grabbing important documents. They have a general sense of what an evacuation might look like for their family.
But what about the dog? The cat? The horses in the back pasture? The chickens that have been in the family for years?
For millions of pet and livestock owners across California, that part of the emergency plan is often the last thing they think about and the first thing that falls apart when disaster actually hits. In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sat down with Vicky Dawson, founder and president of the Solano Community Animal Response Team, to talk about exactly that gap and what every animal owner in Solano County can do to close it before the next emergency arrives.
Listen to the full episode here.
Who Is Vicky Dawson and Why Should You Listen to Her
Vicky Dawson is not someone who learned about animal disaster response from a textbook.
She lived it. During the LNU Complex Fires, one of the most destructive wildfire events in California history, she was on the ground helping evacuate animals, coordinate volunteers, and navigate the chaos that every large-scale disaster produces. That firsthand experience shapes everything she shares in this episode.
She founded the Solano Community Animal Response Team, known as Solano CART, specifically to fill the gap between human emergency response systems and the animals those systems often leave behind. Solano CART trains volunteers, builds community networks, and provides the kind of coordinated animal rescue capacity that individual pet owners simply cannot replicate on their own.
Her organization exists because community networks save lives. Not just human lives. Animal lives too. And in a region where wildfires, floods, and other emergencies arrive with increasingly little warning, having that network in place before disaster strikes is the difference between rescue and loss.
Learn more about Solano CART at solanocart.org and find them on Facebook to stay connected to their volunteer efforts and training opportunities.
The Three Things Every Pet Owner Needs to Do Right Now
Vicky’s advice in this episode is practical, specific, and actionable. Here are the three most important things every animal owner in Solano County should do before the next emergency arrives.
First, build an emergency plan for your animals before you need one
Do not wait for a mandatory evacuation order to figure out where your pets are going. Know which shelter accepts animals in your area. Also, know which roads you will take and which routes might be blocked. Know who in your network can help you transport animals if you cannot do it alone. Practice loading your animals into carriers or trailers before an emergency so the process is not a stressful surprise in the middle of a crisis.
The time to build that plan is right now, on a Tuesday afternoon when nothing is wrong. Not at 2am when the sky is orange and the roads are filling with smoke.
Second, build an emergency kit for every animal in your care
A human emergency kit and an animal emergency kit are not the same thing. Your pets and livestock need their own supplies. That includes enough food and water for at least 72 hours. Any medications your animals take regularly, along with copies of their prescriptions. Vaccination records and veterinary contact information. Carriers, leashes, and any restraints needed for safe transport. And identification, whether that is a microchip, a tag, or a photo of you with your animal that proves ownership if you get separated.
For livestock owners, the preparation goes further. Trailers need to be roadworthy and accessible. Loading practice matters enormously. Animals that have never been asked to load quickly under stress will not suddenly comply during a real emergency.
Third, connect with your community network before you need it
This is the piece that most emergency planning conversations leave out. Individual preparation matters. But community networks change outcomes in ways that individual preparation cannot.
Solano CART volunteers train specifically to assist with animal rescue during emergencies. They know the region and coordinate with human emergency response teams. They fill the gap when pet owners cannot safely retrieve their animals on their own. Knowing they exist and knowing how to reach them could be the difference between losing an animal and getting them home safely.
Why This Episode Connects to Fairfield’s Broader Safety Conversation
Emergency preparedness is not a side issue for a city council member. It is a core responsibility. K. Patrice Williams has consistently advocated for a public safety approach that addresses the full range of risks Fairfield residents face. That includes natural disaster preparedness. That includes making sure the most vulnerable members of our community, human and animal alike, have the resources and information they need before a crisis hits.
Solano County sits in a region where wildfire risk is real and growing. Climate change is not a future problem for this area. It is a current one. Families in Cordelia and Green Valley are closer to that risk than many Fairfield residents realize. Building personal and community preparedness now is exactly the kind of proactive, prevention-first approach that saves lives and saves resources when emergencies arrive.
This episode of Turning Point is K. Patrice Williams doing what she does best. Using her platform to connect her community with information and resources that make real differences in real lives. Not waiting for people to seek out the information. Bringing it directly to them.
Listen to the full conversation with Vicky Dawson here and share it with every pet owner and livestock owner you know in Solano County.
The Leader Behind the Platform
Turning Point is not just a podcast. It is an extension of who K. Patrice Williams is as a leader and as a community member.
She co-founded Solano Impact Care to provide personalized community support services for Solano County residents navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives. She founded Hazel’s Tranquility Place, named after her mother, to give formerly incarcerated women and their children a safe home and a real pathway forward. These organizations exist because she saw gaps in her community and filled them herself. Not with a press release. With her own time, resources, and commitment.
That same instinct drives every episode of Turning Point. See a gap in what her community knows. Fill it. Connect people with information and resources that make their lives safer, stronger, and better prepared for whatever comes next.
As detailed in the piece on Women in Local Government Fairfield CA, the kind of leadership K. Patrice Williams brings to District 1 is rooted in genuine community investment. Not just policy positions. Real organizations, conversations and real outcomes for real people.
Before You Close This Tab, Do These Three Things
One. Visit solanocart.org and learn how to connect with Solano CART volunteers in your area.
Two. Start building your pet emergency kit today. Food, water, medications, identification, and carrier. Do not wait for a red flag warning to realize you are not ready.
Three. Listen to this episode of Turning Point and share it with someone who loves their animals and has never thought about what happens to them in a disaster.
Your pets are counting on you to have a plan. And Fairfield is counting on leaders who use every platform available to make sure you have one.
This November, vote K. Patrice Williams for Fairfield City Council, District 1.
Learn more at kpatriceforfairfield.com and follow the campaign and stay connected with K. Patrice Williams on LinkedIn and at imkpatrice.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Vicky Dawson and what is Solano CART?
Vicky Dawson is the founder and president of the Solano Community Animal Response Team, a volunteer organization that trains community members to assist with animal rescue and evacuation during emergencies across Solano County. Learn more at solanocart.org.
2. What should I put in an emergency kit for my pets?
At minimum, pack 72 hours of food and water, any medications with copies of prescriptions, vaccination records, veterinary contact information, carriers or leashes, and identification documentation including photos of you with your animal.
3. What experience does Vicky Dawson bring to emergency preparedness?
Vicky has firsthand experience responding to the LNU Complex Fires, one of California’s most destructive wildfire events. That experience directly informs the practical guidance she shares in this Turning Point episode.
4. Where can I listen to this episode of Turning Point?
Listen to the full episode with Vicky Dawson here
5. How does emergency preparedness connect to K. Patrice Williams’ campaign platform?
Comprehensive public safety, including natural disaster preparedness, is a core part of her platform for District 1. She uses Turning Point to bring practical community resources directly to Fairfield residents as part of her commitment to serving the community beyond the council chamber.