The K-9 Care Center was started as a joint effort between animal rescue organizations to assist with the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina .  Participating organizations included  BARKS (Byram Animal Rescue and Kindness Squad), Eleventh Hour Rescue, and members of the Sussex County Animal Response Team (CART).

The K-9 Care Center is continuing its mission through support of disaster response capabilities in Sussex County including providing pet food to local food pantries to assist families in need with keeping their pets, emergency sheltering of pets whose owners are temporarily unable to care for them, and response to animal related disasters both natural and man made.  BARKS (Byram Animal Rescue and Kindness Squad) and Sussex CART are the current partners involved in this project, and Pet Food Support is provided by Shelter Helpers and numerous retail pet food facilites.