How to Help Pets Affected by the Devastating LA Fires

This week, wildfires are ravaging the greater Los Angeles area, forcing 130,000 residents to evacuate, destroying homes, and killing at least five people, with the death toll expected to rise. And, as with any natural disaster of this magnitude, animal shelters are becoming overwhelmed with displaced pets.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that more than 180 animals of all  “shapes and sizes” had been dropped off at Pasadena Humane in the previous 24 hours. Later that day, they posted on Instagram that they taken in at least 300 animals. On Thursday, the shelter shared that they had received “thousands of comments and messages in the past day” but that they are  “unable to respond to every message at this time” and are most in need of monetary donations.

“There is a pig here on site right now,” Kevin McManus, the public relations manager for the shelter, told the Times. “We had a pony up until about 15 minutes ago.” He added: “We’ve had to start moving everybody around like Tetris pieces,” Mr. McManus said. “We still have a line of people with their pets outside, waiting to bring them in.”

Megan Fenner, the administrator for the  Lange Foundation, told the Times that at least 60 pet parents had called her, panicking about what they were going to do with their pets as the fires raged on. Meanwhile, a veterinarian named Dr. Annie Harvilicz, who runs the Animal Wellness Foundation, has opened up an empty animal hospital in Marina del Rey to pets who could not evacuate with their guardians.

Pet parents, will, not doubt, continue to seek resources and stay on alert, especially as unpredictable winds can change the fires’ paths. Below, we highlight the evacuation centers and shelters open to locals, as well as organizations that are helping right now.

Where pet parents can go with or take their pets

Because of the mandatory evacuation orders caused by the Palisades and Hurst fires, Los Angeles Department of Animal Services  is telling pet parents to take their pets to Westwood Recreation Center located at 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd. in LA and to Ritchie Valens Rec Center located at 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., in Pacoima. For the latest on evacuation updates , go to this link.

Per NBC4 Los Angeles, the following shelters accept people and small animals:

• Westwood Recreation Center: 1350 S. Sepulveda, Los Angeles

• Pasadena Civic Auditorium: 300 E. Green St., Pasadena

• El Camino Real Charter High School: 5440 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills

• Ritchie Valens Recreation Center: 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima

• Sepulveda Recreation Center: Address: 8825 Kester Ave., Panorama City

The following animal shelters are accepting pets. Check availability here:

Small animal shelters

• Agoura Animal Care Center: 29525 Agoura Rd., Agoura Hills

• Baldwin Park Animal Care Center: 4275 Elton St., Baldwin Park

• Carson Animal Care Center: 216 W Victoria St., Gardena

• Castaic Animal Care Center: 31044 Charlie Canyon, Castaic

• Downey Animal Care Center: 11258 Garfield Ave., Downey

• El Camino High School: 5440 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills

• Lancaster Animal Care Center: 5210 W Ave. I, Lancaster

• Palmdale Animal Care Center: 38550 Sierra Hwy., Palmdale

Large animal shelters

• Lancaster Animal Care Center: 5210 W. Ave. I, Lancaster

• Industry Hills Expo: 16200 Temple Ave., City of Industry

• Pomona Fairplex (horses only): 1101 W. Mckinley Ave., Pomona

Check the third slide here for more options for animal boarding:

Where to donate or volunteer right now

For those of us outside of the Los Angeles area who want to help how we can, please visit the websites and social media for the following organizations.

Editor’s note: Kinship will continue to add more resources as these events progress.

Pasadena Humane Society

As Pasadena Humane continues to get more requests to help local animals, donations, both monetary and the items on their Amazon wishlist, are crucial. Help at the link below.

SPCALA

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (SPCALA) started taking in animals on Wednesday morning, per their Instagram account. You can donate to them at the link below.

Animal Wellness Foundation

The organization is filling its old animal hospital building in Marina Del Rey “with any animals that needed to be evacuated but couldn’t go with their pet parent.”

A Purposeful Rescue

The rescue posted the following message, in part, to its followers asking to help: “Right now we are really focusing on pulling dogs from the shelters with long term fosters. This will help lighten the load with the intakes the shelters are currently experiencing and will continue to experience in the midst of this disaster. If you are an approved foster, please message your group thread or foster coordinator if you can help. If you’re new, please fill out an app on our website. We will also need help with transport and supply donations, so let us know if you can help there as well.”

Luxe Paws

Local cat shelter Luxe Paws, whose mission is “no more homeless kittens,” posted on Instagram that while they are not in an evacuation zone, they are dedicated to helping adopters and fosters who have lost everything. They are also continuing their trap-neuter-release (TNR) efforts.

“The TNR has not stopped, the last thing we need is more cats & kittens that need to be sheltered or rescued. Vital resources must reach the most needy ... As we support those who’ve lost everything, we also can't ignore the animals across the city who still need a safety net. If you can foster a rescue cat or kittens, help one of our adopters who lost their home by temporarily fostering, please dm us or send a foster app/linked in out bio.”

You can Venmo them at @Luxepaws or Paypal here.

LA Animal Services

LA Animal Services is doing what it can to help the pets and animals in need right now. They’ve waived adoption fees now through Jan. 12, adding: “All six LA Animal Services Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If you can’t adopt, please consider fostering.” Check out their available pets here.

County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control

The LA County DACC is called for both volunteers and donations at this time. The organization posted, in part: “If you are interested in volunteering, email volunteer@animalcare.lacounty.gov for further information and please await instructions. Volunteers with equine and livestock experience will be prioritized.”

They continue: “The best way anyone can support emergency operations at the LA County Department of animal care and control is through the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation whose sole purpose is to support the animals in need through our agency.”

Canine Rescue Club

If you can volunteer as a temporary foster to help families in need, now is the time. Canine Rescue Club has posted on Instagram calling for people to apply at the below link.

The Dogist

Elias Weiss Friedman, the writer and photographer behind the popular Instagram account The Dogist helped with the rescue-flight efforts last weekend as well. Friedman spoke with KCAL News about his efforts to help shelters find fosters and adopters for animals so there is room for more animals displaced by the fires. 

Many of these pets at the shelters are being cared for until they can be reunited with their parents, so it’s crucial that shelters can make room for them.

He told the news outlet that he’s noticed LA pet parents who’ve lost their homes remain hopeful — as long as they still have their pets. “Pets are a sense of home to lots of people, and if you’ve lost your home but you still have your dog, in a way, it’s like, things can be replaced.” So far, he’s raised close to $200,000 to help shelters across the city.