Dozens of animals were rescued and transported from fire ravaged areas in Los Angeles County to other cities in California such as San Diego and Sacramento.
The series of deadly wildfires, which first broke out on Tuesday, have decimated entire communities and left residents reeling as the infernos destroyed over 10,000 homes, businesses, and other structures.
Amid the fires, the San Diego Humane Society and Sacramento SPCA stepped up to rescue animals at Pasadena Humane and other local shelters as they struggled to help animals affected by the fires.
“We were devastated to see what was happening in the Greater Los Angeles area and how many people and animals were affected,” San Diego Humane Society spokesperson Jordan Frey told USA TODAY over phone Friday. “As soon as we heard that Pasadena Humane Society needed support, we wanted to see how we could help.”
Frey added the shelter wanted to find a way to support the affected animals even though they themselves were at 125% capacity for dogs.
Sacramento SPCA CEO Jennifer Brent, in a statement, said the non-profit “immediately reached out to offer our support“ after they learned Pasadena Humane was caring for “hundreds of displaced animals while also preparing to potentially evacuate their shelter.”
“One of the best ways we can answer the call in Sacramento is to help clear out the available animals in shelters closest to impacted regions,” Brent said. “It was an easy decision to support our friends in Pasadena during this difficult time.”
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SD Humane evacuates 39 dogs
San Diego Humane Society said they sent four shelter staff teams Thursday to bring back 28 dogs and one kitten to their campuses in San Diego and Escondido, in addition to the 11 dogs taken to their Oceanside Campus Wednesday.
In total, 39 dogs and one kitten were rescued and evacuated by San Diego Humane Society by Friday, Frey told USA TODAY. Frey explained that transporting these animals required “a lot of coordination and preparation” as well as equipment to ensure they have a smooth ride. Fortunately, SD Humane’s prior experience in responding to similar emergencies helped them carry out the evacuations without much trouble, Frey said.
The transported animals were already available for adoption in Pasadena and will now be placed up for adoption in San Diego, a news release by the shelter said.
Sacramento SPCA rescues 34 animals
Sacramento SPCA, meanwhile, in a news release, said they transferred 34 animals from “overburdened shelters” in Pasadena and Southern California to their facility.
“After assisting the City of Sacramento’s overcrowded Front Street shelter on Wednesday morning with the transfer of 17 puppies and adult dogs, Sacramento SPCA employees jumped back on the road in two transport vehicles headed to Pasadena Wednesday afternoon,” the shelter said in a news release Thursday.
They “completed their 800-mile round trip early Thursday morning, returning to the Sacramento SPCA with 9 dogs, including some with existing medical conditions, the last available cat, and 7 small animals.”
Once the animals arrived in Sacramento, the priority was “getting the animals comfortable and settled into their new housing” Sacramento SPCA Director of Animal Services Jamie Larson said in a statement.
Larson added the non-profit will conduct health assessments of the animals over the next couple of days to determine their readiness for adoption.
How you can help
“A great way to (offer) support right now is to adopt or even temporarily foster an animal to help alleviate the strain on shelters,” Frey said. “So many are over capacity, and during these times of emergency, we take in even more animals.”
Frey said all of the dogs evacuated by SD Humane were ready for adoption and “not on any sort of stray or emergency hold,” and that the shelter is hoping to find them new homes very soon.
Another way to help is by donating funds or necessities to Pasadena Humane as they rescue animals impacted by the fire raging in Los Angeles, Frey said. Details on how and what to donate can be found on their website.
How you can help:Los Angeles wildfires create animal crisis with full shelters, ill pets
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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