Animal rescuers have helped save pets affected by devastating wildfires in Southern California by flying more than 80 cats and dogs to a no-kill shelter in Utah.
The flight carried 26 dogs and 58 cats to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The pets had been housed in the overwhelmed Los Angeles County Animal Shelter.
The rescue effort − a partnership between the Best Friends Animal Society and Wings of Rescue − aimed to clear some space at packed shelters to make room for pets that will hopefully reunited with their owners.
A second trip flew 70 more pets from the Hollywood Burbank Airport to Seattle on Sunday and transported six to Oregon, a Wings of Rescue spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.
Both missions were funded by the nonprofit Cencora Impact Foundation, according to Best Friends.
“In the rush to evacuate a disaster such as the Palisades and Eaton fires, often pets can be escape or become separated from their owners,” the Best Friends Animal Society said in a statement. “It then becomes the work of first responders and shelter workers to find and secure these lost pets until they can be reunited with their owners.”
Dozens of animals taken to other California cities
To combat overcrowding in shelters, dozens of animals have been transported to other California shelters including the San Diego Humane Society and Sacramento SPCA.
“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 on Friday. “As soon as we heard that Pasadena Humane Society needed support, we wanted to see how we could help.”
Frey said the shelter decided to take more dogs despite already being at 125% capacity.
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control and Los Angeles Animal Services have both urged the public to foster an animal if they can. The Pasadena Humane shelter continues to provide emergency medical care to lost pets and orphaned wildlife, with many suffering from smoke inhalation.
On Sunday, the shelter shared an image of an injured black cat named Lil Man, whose whiskers had been burned off and was unable to walk due to burned paws. Last week the shelter shared a photo of a white dog named Roxy completely coated in ash after being found in a collapsed home.
Some animals have been reunited
Distressed pet owners are using recently created Facebook groups and other platforms like PetReconnect to reunite with their beloved animals. While many are still holding out hope for a reunion, some lucky owners managed to find their beloved animals.
Los Angeles resident Casey Colvin was separated from his dog Oreo on Jan. 7 when the Palisades Fire destroyed his home while he was away.
Colvin spent five long nights away from Oreo before their emotional reunion on Sunday, which was shared on X by NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz.
“Oh honey, you’re alive, you’re alive!” Colvin yells as he holds his dog back in his arms. “Oh, thank you, God!”
Other pet owners and their animals have been reunited but it’s unclear how many.
Where to donate to help animals
Here are some of the organizations supporting animals during the ongoing Southern California wildfires.
Contributing: Saman Shafiq and James Powel
This story was updated to add new information.
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