Hundreds of animals that were displaced by the Eaton Fire have found refuge at Pasadena Humane, and many of them have been able to return to their families. However, more than 100 animals have not yet been returned to their owners.
According to Pasadena Humane’s Kevin McManus, “the reunions have obviously given us at the shelter a huge lift,” “Over the course of the fire, numerous stray animals have entered. And it’s clear that those few days were really hectic.
Many of the animals had burns, dehydration, singed paws, and smoke inhalation when they arrived at the shelter. Fluids, oxygen, painkillers, and wound care have all been administered to them as needed.
According to McManus, the commotion surrounding the evacuation operations has made it difficult to identify the animals’ owners and return them home, since many dogs have either escaped or been left behind.
He added that the shelter has extended its stray hold, which was originally set for 21 days to 30 days to give owners more time to come forward, saying, “We are still facing over 100 stray animals who we have not be able to identify their owners, probably impacted by the fire, and so we are really pushing try to find as many of those animals’ homes.”
“We immediately realized that five days, which is quite typical in California, was insufficient. Only a few days ago, we made the decision to go a little farther with it. We’ve decided to go with 30 days instead of 21,” he remarked.
According to McManus, microchipping has been a huge help in making reunions possible. Through the use of microchip scanners, almost 400 animals have been reunited with their family in the last two and a half weeks.
“The animals who are microchipped were oftentimes able to reunite them with their families without even taking stop at the shelter,” he stated.
About 400 animals are now under the shelter’s care, according to McManus. Volunteers make sure that dogs get frequent bathroom breaks and time outside of their kennels, while cats get lots of love to help them feel less stressed.
“We are really trying to make it . . . as safe and as homelike as possible,” he stated.
McManus clarified that any animals that have not been retrieved after the 30-day period will need to be considered for adoption. First, the shelter will keep working to find the owners and bring families together.
“At the 30-day point, we are going to have just understand that, for whatever reason, these animals’ families have not come to get them, which is an unfortunate and sad reality of any animal that comes into a shelter,” he stated. “We will probably at that point start opening our adoption process again.”
Call the Eaton Fire Animal Rescue Hotline at 626-577-3752 if you need to report an animal that has been found, lost, or left behind in a home or property that has been evacuated.
Click here or go to the Pet Connect page to hunt for your missing pet if you’re trying to find them or offer assistance. The QR Code that shown below can also be scanned by pet owners.