How did the BART program begin?
BART was established by veterinarian Dr. Janet Olson in December 2004 in response to the tragic loss of a pet in a house fire in New Brighton, Minnesota. The burning home belonged to a firefighter and his 13-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer named Bart was trapped inside. The department was able to put out the fire and locate Bart, but he was unresponsive. The firefighters, who included Dr. Olson’s husband, did not have the knowledge base or equipment to help Bart and he died. The entire fire department was deeply affected by this tragedy, feeling helpless to assist one of their own. The BART program has been developed to honor the memory of Bart and to ensure fewer families will suffer a similar loss. Read Bart’s story.
