Our History
From One Question to a Shared Mission
Every organization has a story. Ours began in 2019 with a simple question: Why are we still using paper?
What started as an effort to improve recordkeeping in temporary emergency animal shelters gradually became something much bigger. Through curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to try something new, volunteers and animal response professionals helped turn an idea into practical technology designed around the realities of disaster response.
We’re sharing DARTCC’s history one chapter at a time to preserve the experiences, decisions, challenges, and relationships that shaped our journey. These stories recognize the people who helped us get here, share what we’ve learned along the way, and remind us that meaningful progress rarely happens alone.
Chapter 1: The Question That Started It All
In 2019, a volunteer team meeting in Vermont sparked a simple question about the paper forms used in emergency animal shelters. What seemed like a small observation would lead to questions, conversations, and an unexpected journey.
Chapter 2: Could We Replace Paper?
What happens when a simple question becomes an idea worth exploring? With no roadmap to follow and plenty of unknowns, a small group of volunteers began discovering what it might take to change a familiar way of doing things.