Animals and the Camp Fire
Urgent information: We are taking a ton of calls regarding animals who may have been lost or separated from their owners in the Camp Fire. We are posting information here that we hope can answer some of your questions.
The best place for information right now concerning shelters and animals is www.buttecounty.net. There, you will find a list of shelters where displaced people and animals can be housed. The list is updated to show which shelters are full and which ones where people can stay will allow animals. All the sites where animals who have been found in the fire zone might have been taken are also listed on that page.
We have taken in a FEW found animals from the fire zone, but MOST fire-zone found animals have been taken to the sites listed at www.buttecounty.net!
Most of the animals we are holding from the fire zone right now are very large dogs and dogs who were giving the volunteers at the evacuation sites a hard time -- such as dogs who really don't like to be in crates, who are breaking out of crates, dogs who are difficult to walk on leash, or dogs who are aggressive to other dogs or people. Dogs who meet this description are being transferred to our more secure facility from the evacuation sites. We will be keeping them safe! They will not be going up for adoption or being euthanized or anything else. We realize they are afraid and stressed, and our secure facility and experienced staff is best equipped to deal with them.
To make room for these incoming animals (mostly dogs), we have transferred many animals to out-of-the-area rescue organizations and shelters. The only animals who were transferred away are ones who were here *before* the fire and were well past their stray-hold times and awaiting adoption. NO FIRE ZONE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT OF THE AREA OR WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION UNTIL ALL THESE CRISES ARE OVER AND PEOPLE HAVE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FIND AND RECLAIM THEIR PETS.
If you have been displaced by the fires and need food or other equipment (beds, crates, leashes, etc.) for your pets, you can come to the Northwest SPCA and we can give you what you need.
Any other questions? Please take a big (filtered) breath and feel free to call us. Much love to our volunteers and community. We and our beloved pets will get through this!
