Humane organizations are caring for hundreds of animals in Southern California as residents continue to be displaced by this week’s rapidly spreading wildfires.
According to Ana Bustilloz, director of communications and marketing for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, or spcaLA, a local animal welfare organization, this is obviously not something that will be fixed in a day or a week. We are prepared to help.
While the fires rage across the Los Angeles region, a variety of rescue organizations are housing a menagerie of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, and tortoises. While the humans in their homes remain in hotels, evacuation centers, or other locations that do not permit pets, some pets are staying as temporary boarders. Injuries to other animals are being treated.
Dia DuVernet, president and CEO of Pasadena Humane, an animal rehabilitation organization in Pasadena, stated, “We have taken in some animals that were found stray near the fire areas, and they have come in with burns, singed paws, singed whiskers, and dehydration.” Determining how to address all of the needs of both humans and animals in our society has simply required a tremendous amount of communal work.
Pasadena Humane has taken in more than 400 animals so far, she added. Those receiving treatment for smoke inhalation and dehydration, some of whom are on oxygen in the center’s veterinary intensive care unit, are among the most seriously hurt.
Anyone asking for a home to keep their pet has not had to be turned away by the group.
According to DuVernet, it has been goats, dogs, cats, and birds. In fact, a pony’s distraught owner walked their animal from the impacted region to our shelter, where we took care of it until we could take it to an equestrian facility.
Authorities say that at least 11 people have been killed by the flames in Los Angeles, and that more than 100,000 people are still under evacuation orders as of Friday. The number of pets that local animal welfare organizations have taken in has varied over the course of the week, but they are concerned that it may increase.
Christi Metropole, president and CEO of Stray Cat Alliance, a cat rescue group based in Los Angeles, stated that there will be a significant increase in the number of cats evacuated due to the increased number of displaced people. The quiet before the storm is here.
About fifty pets have been dropped off by their owners at spcaLA for short-term boarding, according to Bustilloz. Dogs, kittens, and a 30-year-old parrot named Ducky are among them. She has pleased staff members with her comments, such as “I’m a pretty birdie!”
To help the animals feel as at home as possible, a veterinarian examines them when they arrive at SPCALA, and they are given blankets, soothing toys, and snacks, according to Bustilloz.
We’ll undoubtedly find ourselves doing different things throughout time. However, this is what we’re doing for the time being,” she remarked. We may offer someone in distress the reassurance that their animals are safe and well-cared for, which should afford them a brief respite so they can concentrate on other matters.
The American Veterinary Medical Association states that pets, especially those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, may be at risk from wildfires and the pollutants they emit. When the air is smoky, the association advises keeping dogs indoors as much as possible. With three to seven days’ supply of pet food, a pet carrier marked with contact details, a collapsible feeding dish and water bowl, and other essentials, it recommends that all pet owners keep an evacuation pack on available.
The rescue organizations that talked with NBC News stated that, for the animals’ protection, they are only bringing them outside for short periods of time this week and are not in evacuation zones.
The Los Angeles Equestrian Center is also closely monitoring air quality in Burbank, a little further away from Los Angeles. According to Jennie Nevin, executive director of business development and communication at the municipal recreation and park center, which typically houses 500 horses, 200 to 300 more were brought in over the past week from private residences or other equestrian facilities where the smoke and fire constituted a significant risk.
She described the smoke in the Burbank area as coming in and going out. Our air quality has been quite poor due to the shifting winds, but today there has been some improvement.
Other large animals can also be handled at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. It received Oliver, a pet pig who is thought to weigh more than 200 pounds, earlier this week after his owners in Pasadena were unable to find another home for him.
The rescue facilities reported receiving an abundance of supplies, including blankets, pet food, and bales of hay. According to DuVernet, Pasadena Humane has begun to request solely monetary donations going forward since it has received so many donated pet supplies that it worries it may run out of space to house additional animals in need.
According to spcaLA’s Bustilloz, some pet owners who were evacuated earlier this week have been given the all-clear to go back home and have come to pick up their animals. The bright side of an otherwise trying week has been witnessing pets get back to their families.
According to Bustilloz, it simply feels like a little step in the right direction.