At least five victims of the Southern California wildfires have reportedly died with their dogs by their side. Another victim, a 20-year-old woman, was critically burned when she apparently tried to save her cat.
These are the kinds of scenes that The HSUS is trying to prevent as our staff and disaster volunteers work with humane and animal control officials in Southern California, not only urging residents to take preparatory steps as the fires approach, but also helping to evacuate people and pets when the flames bear down on them.
The week-old fires are already the worst in California history. They have consumed 900 square miles of Southern California (an area larger than Orange County, The Los Angeles Times reported), contributed to the deaths of 16 people, and destroyed at least 2,000 homes. News reports say that thousands of residents are living in temporary shelters as the fires continue to threaten people and animals in several different areas, including San Bernardino and San Diego counties.
"There has already been too much human and animal tragedy related to these wildfires," says Melissa Seide Rubin, HSUS vice president, Field Services. "We can't stress enough that people leave the danger areas, with their pets, well before an mandatory evacuation order is given. By then, it could be too late."
The situation remains volatile in Southern California and its changing nature will require different responses from The HSUS, but to date, here is what we've done in the area:
- In San Diego County, the West Coast Regional Office (WCRO) began, as early as last weekend, to monitor the California fires by canvassing local animal service organizations. On Monday, October 27, WCRO sent a team to San Diego at the request of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, giving assistance and guidance where needed.
On Wednesday, October 29, we formed two search and assessment teams, which are being led by WCRO Director Eric Sakach. The teams are searching for injured and displaced animals in the towns of Crest and Valley Center, where the fires recently caused widespread devastation. The teams will also be assessing those towns for the San Diego County Animal Services Department. In addition, WCRO staff arranged for additional horse evacuation teams from the City of Norco; the teams have the capabilities to evacuate 100 horses at a time.
- In San Bernardino County, where the wildfire conditions have continued to worsen over the past few days, more than 25 HSUS staff and disaster volunteers have been deployed to assist the County Animal Services. The HSUS team includes members from Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Oregon and Northern California, each member having animal-handling skills as well as disaster-rescue training.
More than 1,000 displaced animals are being cared for by The San Bernardino County Animal Services at four temporary shelters. Thirty percent of them are dogs, 30% cats, and the remaining are horses and livestock. The WCRO has arranged for PETsMART store credit for the City of Victorville, located in the eastern portion of the county.
WCRO expects that the teams will remain in place for many days to come.
Even though firefighters in Southern California have battled the blazes for more than a week now, the fires continue to threaten new areas. The HSUS urges pet owners to follow our preparation checklist if the fires are threatening their homes.
You can help support The HSUS Disaster Program by donating online or sending a contribution (made out to "HSUS Disaster Services Fund") to
HSUS Disaster Services Fund
2100 L St., NW
Washington DC, 20037
You can also donate to The HSUS's Disaster Services Fund by calling 1-888-259-5431.
