Animal shelter takes in 300 animals amid LA fires, urges evacuees to 'take your animals with you'
As wildfires burn through Southern California, one Pasadena animal shelter is reporting hundreds of animals arriving with burn injuries.
In a Wednesday night release, Pasadena Humane, the Pasadena, California-based shelter said the group had taken in "over 300 animals" and the shelter was "starting to see many animals coming in with burns and injuries." The shelter said among the medical care they are providing to the animals is pain medications, wound care, fluid, and oxygen.
The shelter also noted they are "working with shelters across the state who have offered to take in the animals that were already in our care so that we can focus on providing resources to the displaced animals."
Pasadena Humane has shared photos of animals they are treating on their Facebook page.
The release also urged evacuating residents to make sure to evacuate their pets as well, stating "If you are evacuating, please take your animals with you." The shelter thanked the Pasadena Civic Center for allowing displaced residents to bring pets.
The release also noted the shelter is offering pet food for those in need and "emergency boarding" for pets whose owners can not evacuate to a location where they can bring the pet along.
Animal control officers were on the ground helping animals as needed and, once fires in the area clear, the shelters are getting prepared "to get in many injured animals that will need our help in those areas," according to the shelter.
In their release, the shelter asked for donations to upkeep the resources necessary for their care.
The American Veterinary Medical Association offers tips and advice on the best way to evacuate with your pet in order to ensure a safe departure from your home in an emergency.
The AVMA advises constructing an evacuation kit for your pet, so you can be ready to depart on a moment’s notice. The evacuation kit should include food, water and medicine for 7 to 10 days, and should be packed well before an emergency in a waterproof container that is easy to carry and stored by an exit.
The evacuation kit should also include sanitation and first-aid supplies as well as important paperwork such as ownership and identification documents and medical records, according to the AVMA.
Other items suggested to include in your pet evacuation bag are a crate or pet carrier, ID tags, a leash and a flashlight.
The AVMA also warns, "never leave a pet tied up if you cannot evacuate with it."
