Shelter Animals in Fire Zones Find Safety in the East Bay
A rescued pup from the LNU Complex Fire - Sonoma County, photo: Cole Kupier for ARF
ARF Evacuates Dozens of Homeless Cats and Dogs
Summer returned wildfires to the West Coast with a vengeance this year, and Bay Area shelters and rescues have been busier than ever evacuating shelter animals in the paths of California's blazes. The Golden State has now seen five of the top twenty largest wildfires in recorded history - and the year isn’t over yet.
“The dangers of fires this year are being amplified due to the pandemic, having catastrophic effects for these communities,” said Elena Bicker, executive director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). “With millions of acres burned across the West Coast so far this year, ARF has been in close communication with shelter partners to assist with emergency evacuations.”
Already affected by reduced staffing and volunteer levels due to COVID-19, emergency situations can quickly tax animal shelters, and previous fires have left some shelters or rescue groups without electricity for several days. Transporting shelter animals to the Bay Area helps make room for lost or evacuated pets in fire-affected areas, allowing for faster reunification with families and flexibility for those who must relocate to temporary housing. It also gives shelter animals an expedited path to adoption outside the disaster zones.
A couple of kitties who survived the 2020 North Complex Fire - Oroville. Photo by Cole Kupier for ARF
“Our goal now is to find these homeless dogs and cats loving families here in the Bay Area,” Bicker said. ARF has previously assisted shelters during emergencies such as the Camp and Carr fires, Hurricane Irma and the Joplin, Missouri tornadoes. “ARF’s rescue team and veterinary clinic have years of experience responding to disasters, but it’s always amazing how quickly and efficiently these operations come together to provide relief.”
Those looking to help in this situation may do so by adopting an animal from ARF through their safe, virtual adoption process or by contributing to the transport, care and placement costs at arflife.org/help/disaster . To donate supplies, a wish list of items to have shipped directly to ARF is available at here: arflife.org/help/wish-list (please no donation drop offs at this time).
About Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)
ARF’s core mission is the rescue of dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters, giving them a second chance at life. ARF couples this focus with innovative programs strengthening the human-animal bond for children, seniors, veterans, and people in disadvantaged circumstances. Through ARF, people experience the unconditional love and acceptance of dogs and cats to fulfill a mission of People Rescuing Animals … Animals Rescuing People®.