In mid-January, some of the most devastating wildfires in California history began creeping toward Orange County, where iHeartDogs has its headquarters. Instead of evacuating, co-founder Justin Palmer and his team asked how they could help.
Stepping Up When Disaster Strikes
Palmer is no stranger to disaster relief efforts. iHeartDogs partners with the global non-profit organization Greater Good Charities on everything from medical fundraisers to boots-on-the-ground aid during hurricanes, tornadoes, catastrophic flooding, and more.
The fires left a trail of unprecedented destruction, burning over 97,000 acres and destroying or damaging more than 18,000 structures, including countless homes and businesses. With total economic damages surpassing $250 billion, it stands as one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.
But the most devastating losses cannot be counted in acres or dollars. At least 29 people lost their lives, and more than 200,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes. Animal statistics are not available, but many pets were reported lost or killed, and area shelters are still operating far beyond capacity to help the survivors.
With entire families—especially the furry members—at risk, Palmer reached out to Greater Good to see how iHeartDogs could help. Together, the two organizations planned an evacuation flight, delivering 50 at-risk dogs and cats to safety in Oregon. Not only did the flight give long-term shelter residents a better chance at adoption in another state, but it also freed up precious kennel space for lost, displaced, and injured pets still in need of rescue.
“If you’ve lost your home or had to evacuate, you often can’t bring your pet,” Palmer said. “Many ended up in shelters, not abandoned, but needing temporary care.”
Greater Good was also searching for a space to collect and distribute donations for impacted people and pets. Palmer gladly volunteered iHeartDogs’ nearby warehouse.
“These fires are going to be something that affects the community for years, and this is something we are uniquely able to do because we are so close to the fire,” Palmer said.
The iHeartDogs team worked with Greater Good to compile an Amazon wishlist of essential items survivors and their pets would need in the coming weeks. Once the list was shared with iHeartDogs’ 5 million+ followers, donations began to pour in. As of the writing of this article, iHeartDogs readers have gifted more than 75,000 Amazon products to those in need.
Heroes with Big Hearts: iHeartDogs’ Amazing Customers
Loyal customers also donated to Greater Good Charities’ fire-related fundraisers. Once again, they came through in a big way, ultimately donating more than $140,000 to the relief efforts.
Palmer and company will continue supporting displaced pets and strays affected by the disaster. An upcoming rescue flight is planned for St. Patrick’s Day, and the Amazon wish list is still active if you’d like to donate to either effort.
A Company On A Mission
Since its inception, iHeartDogs has donated more than 34 million meals, 260,000 toys, and 85,ooo blankets to shelter dogs awaiting their forever homes. They have also funded $1.5 million to provide service dogs to military veterans, $73,000 for domestic abuse survivors and their pets, and more than 330,000 air miles to fly dogs and cats in high-risk shelters to safety.
