Los Angeles Fire - Helping Animals
'We sing to them': LA stables turn Noah's Ark for fire rescue animals
What terrible scenes there are coming from Los Angeles. All our thoughts and prayers are with everyone there, and especially the fire crews, emergency services, and everyone involved in animal rescue.
I've put this page together VERY quickly - I hope this helps - please help animals if you can, be it donating, fostering, adopting, spreading the word... anything to lend a paw. These people and animals need us... I will keep adding to this as more information comes to light.
Best Friends - their emergency response team is on the ground in Los Angeles, offering help and support to other local animal welfare organizations while also working to ensure the safety of their own pets and staff in their Pet Adoption Center. And if you need temporary housing for your pets or are interested in fostering, they've launched a Facebook group to connect families so that pets can stay in homes rather than taking up space in overcrowded shelters. Visit their website here and their Facebook page here
The Pasadena Humane Society have Eaton Fire Emergency Information here so that you can see wht help is needed (scroll down a bit for that when you click through) and how they are helping - please see their latest update here. This page has info on sheltering and supplies, emergency vet care, reunification efforts, and pet friendly hotels. They also has a PDF with essential info you can download. They are working across state with shelters who have offered to take in the animals they were already caring for, so that they can focus on the animals affected by the fires. They need people to foster and volunteer and donate - you can contact them and get updates through their Facebook page.
The Pasadena Humane Society says many wild animals are coming to them needing help, and they are being treated at their Sandra J. Goodspeed Wildlife Center. Many need oxygen and fluid. The Society says donations going to them will help all animals, including wildlife, affected by the fires. Please check their Facebook page for what to do if you find an injured wild animal (as these details may change fast).
By 31st January, Wings of Rescue had flown 1,000 animals out of Los Angeles to shelters elsewhere. For instance, on 28th January 2025, Wings of Rescue are flying 37 large dogs out to shelters in Wisconsin. The pets were in the shelters before the fires and they are being moved to other shelters in the USA in the hope of finding homes and also to create space for those needing urgent accommodation in shelters. They continue to fly pets from overcrowded shelters to shelters which have space, freeing up room for more pets to come in. You can find out more about what Wings of Rescue do here on this PDF. Please visit their website and donate here if you can.
You can read an article on the Daily Mail website about the animals in the Los Angeles wildfires including how the Pasadena Human Society are helping them.
Also, Newsweek have an article on the animals at LA Zoo published on 10th January 2025 and the LA Zoo has a list of wildfire resources.
Video, 9th January 2025: San Diego Humane Society takes in nearly 40 dogs from Pasadena to free shelter space amid wildfires. You can visit their website here.
You can donate to the Pasadena Humane Society here.
Image copyright Pasadena Humane
IFAW: IFAW have been joining animal search and rescue efforts and you can find out more here. They have a list of Wildfire support resources for Los Angeles County residents and their animals
PETA have Palisades Fire Survival Tips to Help Animals
Image copyright PETA
The County of Los Angeles has more information about the fire emergencies here
The Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation’s Noah’s Legacy Fund supports the Department’s emergency response efforts including wildfires, flooding, and earthquakes that can occur in the areas we serve. Find out how you can give here
California Animal Response Emergency Support (CARES) sits within the Emergency Preparedness and Response Section of the Animal Health Branch in the Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division of CDFA. Its mission is "to collaborate with response agencies to build capabilities and coordination that protect the safety of animals during the four (4) phases of emergency management".
Newsweek has an article: California Fires: What Happens to Wildlife and Animals During Wildfires (8th January 2025)
Please use this terrible event as an opportunity to review your own evacuation procedures for your animals in the event of a natural disaster e.g. flooding, fire etc. Be prepared. What would you do? What would you take for your pets and yourselves? And is there anything you could offer an animal charity in dire need of help in such a situation?
The South LA Animal Shelter has information about Emergency Preparedness . They also have a YouTube video about it and an Emergency Plan Checklist
For instance, many animal charities who are taking in pets affected by natural disasters need to free up space and may need foster homes to take in the animals they have so that they can give refuge and safety to those coming to them from a natural disaster zone.
Praying for everyone in Los Angeles.
Huge thanks to everyone involved in rescue and in fighting these fires.