Vet Opens Empty Hospital to Care for Over 40 Pets Displaced by the Los Angeles Wildfires

As multiple uncontained wildfires rage in Los Angeles, over 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate or prepare to evacuate. As they flee their homes, many have been put in the heartbreaking situation of not knowing where they can safely shelter their pets. Dr. Annie Harvilicz, a veterinarian who runs a rescue organization, has made it her mission to protect these vulnerable animals.

Tuesday morning, Dr. Harvilicz’s brother was ordered to evacuate and called her asking if she would be able to care for his rabbit, Oreo, and his cat, Winston, reported the LA Times. She agreed to take in his pets — and then she considered how many other people were in her brother’s predicament.

Dr. Harvilicz’s runs two animal hospitals: the Animal Wellness Centers in Marina del Rey and Laguna Vista Veterinary Center in Harbor City. She also runs the Animal Wellness Foundation, a nonprofit that rescues foster animals, funds spay/neuter and vaccination programs, and raises funds for the pets of low-income families. She had recently moved one of her animal hospitals to a new building just a block away, and the old building was sitting empty, reported the Washington Post. “I looked around and was like, ‘There’s going to be other people that need help, and we have all this empty space. Let’s use it,” Dr. Harvilicz told the Washington Post.

She quickly took to Facebook, posting an offer to house the pets of those in need. “If you know anyone who needs to leave and doesn’t have a place for their pets please have them email me at drannieawc@gmail.com and I can open up the old hospital for temporary housing,” Dr. Harvilicz wrote.

The requests poured in — and they were matched by even more offers to help. “For every person who needed help, there were 50 people offering to help,” Dr. Harvilicz told the Washington Post. “It brings tears to my eyes.”

Dozens of pets are now residing in the empty hospital. Most of the animals staying with her are from multi-pet homes, since many hotels and shelters will not allow multiple animals; she encourages people with only one pet to stay with them if possible. In addition to shelter, Dr. Harvilicz and her volunteers are able to offer veterinary care to pets with injuries, extra food, and bedding.

Volunteers are spending time with the pups, walking and playing with them — and the animals are thriving. “The dogs that are friendly with each other are staying in rooms together,” she told the Washington Post. “They’re not all in kennels and cages. They actually are hanging out with each other; they are pretty happy dogs right now.”

If you need help housing your pet, you can email drannieawc@gmail.com or contact Dr. Harvilicz’s animal hospitals at 310-450-7387 (the Marina del Rey location) or 310-737-8600 (the Harbor City location). To help support Dr. Harvilicz’s rescue efforts, you can donate to her rescue organization below.