[Animals]California animal rescue groups open their doors to pets, some with burns, whose owners could not evacuate with them

[Maheso]

Hundreds of animals are being cared for by humane groups in Southern California as this week's fast-moving wildfires continue to displace residents. 

“This is clearly not something that will be resolved in a day, a week,” said Ana Bustilloz, director of communications and marketing at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, or spcaLA, a local animal welfare organization. “We’re at the ready to assist.”

From cats and dogs to horses, birds and tortoises, several rescue groups are hosting a menagerie of animals while the blazes hopscotch throughout the Los Angeles area. Some pets are staying as temporary boarders while the humans in their households stay in evacuation centers, hotels or other places that don’t allow pets. Other animals are receiving treatment for injuries.

We’ve taken in some animals that were found stray near the fire areas, who have come in with burns, singed paws, singed whiskers, dehydration,” said Dia DuVernet, president and CEO of Pasadena Humane, an animal resource center in Pasadena. “It’s just been a huge community effort to try to figure out how we are going to respond to all the human and animal needs in our community.”She said that, so far, Pasadena Humane has taken in over 400 animals. Among the most severely injured are ones being treated for dehydration and smoke inhalation, some of whom are on oxygen at the center’s veterinary intensive care unit.

The group has not had to turn anyone down who is looking for a place to keep their pet.

“It has been cats, dogs, birds, goats,” DuVernet said. “One desperate owner of a pony actually walked their pony down from the affected area to our shelter, where we cared for it until we could transport it to an equestrian center.”

The Los Angeles wildfires have killed at least 11 people, and well over 100,000 remained under evacuation orders Friday, according to authorities. Animal welfare groups in the area said the number of pets they have housed has fluctuated throughout the week but they worry it could rise.“There’s going be way more animals displaced because there’s way more people displaced,” said Christi Metropole, president and CEO of Stray Cat Alliance, a Los Angeles-based cat rescue organization. “This is the calm before the storm.”

Owners have dropped off about 50 pets for temporary boarding at spcaLA, Bustilloz said. Among them are dogs, cats and a 30-year-old parrot named Ducky — who has delighted staff with the phrases she says, like, “I’m a pretty birdie!”

 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-rescue-groups-open-doors-pets-burns-rcna187184