Animal owners in Los Angeles scrambled to evacuate their beloved pets as fast-moving wildfires engulfed the area, killing 11 people and destroying thousands of homes. Shelters were overwhelmed and urged pet owners to find friends or family to foster their animals. Some people had to leave their pets at shelters because they couldn’t evacuate with them.
Veterinarian Dr. Annie Harvilicz turned her old office into an impromptu shelter, taking in 41 dogs, cats, and a bunny and finding foster homes for most of them. She was inundated with volunteers wanting to help. Difficulties in transporting larger animals, such as donkeys, put them at greater risk during evacuations. Some horses were injured during the fires, while others were successfully evacuated by prepared horse owners.
One animal rescue shelter owner, Arianna Buturovic, evacuated her dogs to various locations, including a friend’s home and a makeshift shelter. Upon returning to her ranch, she found it burned down, along with her ponies and semi-feral dogs. She is now hoping to raise money to support her non-profit organization that rescues animals from high-kill shelters.
