Around 70 dogs will be evacuated from animal shelters near California's wildfires and flown to Arizona as part of a coordinated effort between three animal welfare organizations, officials said.
Pima Animal Care Center, Humane Society of Southern Arizona, and the Arizona Humane Society will shelter the dogs after they arrive on Saturday, Jan. 25. The dogs will be flown to Tucson and Phoenix by Wings of Rescue, backed by financial support from Petco and Central Pet.
Organizers said 20 dogs will go to Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, while 50 dogs will arrive in Tucson. HSSA will care for 30 dogs, while 20 will stay at PACC.
Tbe dogs will be placed into crates and loaded onto aircraft owned by Wings of Rescue, a non-profit which uses a small fleet of planes to fly “abandoned, homeless and at-risk pets from overcrowded shelters and disaster areas to shelters with available space,” the organization said. The group started in 2012 using volunteer pilots flying their own planes, but shifted to using larger, fully-pressurized aircraft and have flown more than 75,000 pets out of disaster areas since their inception.
Last week, Wings of Rescue began evacuating pets from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and flew the animals to shelters in Seattle and Oregon, Flying Magazine reported.
“Tucson’s animal welfare community will provide care, compassion, and a second chance for these animals during an overwhelming crisis,” organizers said. The dogs will be examined by vets, and some of the dogs will be adoptable by the beginning of next week.
“This lifesaving mission ensures that each pet has the opportunity to heal, thrive, and find a loving home,” organizers said.
“Our combined efforts ensure these pets have the care and compassion they deserve, and that communities facing unimaginable challenges know they’re not alone,” said Michele Figueroa, Chief Programs Officer at HSSA.
“I’m sure I join all residents of our community in watching the horrific images of the fires in and around Los Angeles and wondering how I can help,” said Steve Kozachik, PACC’s interim director. “This partnership among Pima Animal Care Center, HSSA, and Arizona Humane Society is an example of how agencies can come together in times of crisis and lend a hand to those in need.”
“I’m extremely grateful to Petco Love, and our partnering shelters for seeing the needs and combining forces to provide homes for animals from L.A. and in the process assisting their local shelters in reconnecting the animals they’ve taken in due to the fires with their families,” Kozachik said.
In the last few weeks, eight separate fires broke out in the Los Angeles-area, driven by the Santa Anna winds and an exceptionally dry winter.
The Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7 and chewed through over 23,000 acres and destroying 7,700 homes and buildings, leaving thousands homeless. The fire is about 77 percent contained, according to CalFire. The Eaton Fire began the same day and has burned just over 14,000 acres, though CalFire officials said it is nearly fully-contained.
Meanwhile, the Hughes Fire began on Wednesday north of Santa Clarita, and has burned nearly 10,400 acres.
HSSA and PACC asked the public to help by adopting or fostering dogs to create room for the animals from California. Adoption fees at both Tucson organizations have been waived for dogs and puppies.
