Rescuing Animals Job 1 For Silicon Valley Humane Society

MILPITAS, CA -- The images and stories from California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire will break your heart as much as a Sarah MacLachlan commercial.

Beyond the most devastating loss of 56 human lives and massive property and land damage in the obliterated town of Paradise, lost and injured animals have been roaming all over the place. In some cases, firefighters have turned into animal control advocates alongside the nationally-recognized Humane Society Silicon Valley working desperately to care for displaced and hurt critters.

A San Mateo County battalion chief found a cat and rode around with it in his lap last weekend. His strike team has also taken in a pig and 13 chickens as well as supplied oxygen to a raccoon.

Alameda County firefighters rescued a confused donkey in the middle of Highway 70 on Friday.

A horse hid out in a pool as the fire flashed over.

In one of the Southern California fires, a famous giraffe was stranded.

And now, Mountain View firefighters working on a Santa Clara County strike team picked up a bunny a few days ago they nicknamed "Burney" as they tried to nurse it back to health with food, water and hugs. The bunny, which roamed free in the backyard, was found burned in the ruins of a house in Paradise. Unfortunately, the bunny had to be euthanized -- another sad chapter in an all-around tragic time for Butte County.

"Her owner shared that per the vet, her burn injuries were too severe, and she was in too much pain. It was a miracle she had survived the fire and had made it this far," Mountain View Fire Chief Juan Diaz wrote on its Facebook page created to look like a shrine for Burney. "When the fire came down their street, they had no time to chase (the owner's) two pet rabbits. The house next door was already on fire and flames were lapping into her property."

The agency's spokesman Bob Maitland explained: "Our firefighters are compassionate people -- for every little soul."

From that, the fire department pledged to buy the heartbroken owner two bunnies and a cage.

The Humane Society Silicon Valley has been working on overdrive on Camp Fire efforts taking in animals and pleading with the public to adopt, adopt, adopt at their own local shelters. The quandary is Northern California shelters are being inundated with animals since the fire, thus crowding them immensely.

"What's happening is shelters are taking in animals from the fire zones' (shelters). They need to be moved to keep them safe," Humane Society Silicon Valley publicist Michelle Tennant told Patch. "People can give money, but with the impact on local shelters, we tell people to please go adopt (in their own local shelters to make room)."

The Valley's Humane Society, working in conjunction with the North Bay Animal Services Team, has taken in six dogs, 18 puppies, 41 kittens and two cats. The Northwest Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animal's (SPCA) efforts have netted more.

“Regional and out-of-region shelters are transporting animals already in the shelter system (adoptable animals, animals being treated for illnesses, etc.) out of (fire) affected shelters to be adopted out by the destination shelters. This allows the affected shelters to maximize their space and resources for evacuated pets that need treatment, temporary housing, or to await reunion with their owners," said the Humane Society Silicon Valley's veterinarian, Dr. Cristie Kamiya.

Essentially a massive network of shifting animals is at work. Owned pets, or pets physically rescued from the fires are not being transported out of the disaster areas because the goal for them is to be reunited with their owners, who may have also been evacuated.

Evacuated residents are advised to take their animals with them and bring food, water, bedding and any containment devices necessary. If evacuees are unable to take large animals, they should be left in open pastures with food, county officials said. Animals should not be locked up in a barn. ‬‬‬‬
Residents can contact North Valley Animal Disaster Group at 530-895-0000 to report lost pets.
Small animals can be taken to:

• Chico Municipal Airport at 150 Airpark Blvd. in Chico (OPEN)
• Old Oroville Hospital at 2279 Del Oro Road, Suite E, in Oroville (FULL)

Large animals can be taken to:

• Butte County Fairgrounds at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley (OPEN)

The public's help outside the area is still needed in particular ways.

"I think people’s first reaction to wanting to help is to make a donation of pet food or supplies, etc., or self-deploy to the areas of disaster to help. Donations of stuff can quickly overwhelm a facility, and may be turned away donations because they can’t use them. The most helpful would be to make a monetary donation to the organizations affected, so they can use the funds for what they determine to be the most needed," the chief of shelter medicine added.

The public can only foster an animal on a temporary basis. Or, they can choose now to adopt.

For more information, visit www.hssv.org/adopt. The Humane Society Silicon Valley is located at 901 Ames Ave. in Milpitas.

It may be too late for Burney but not for others. Here's a fitting tribute put up by Mountain View Fire: https://www.facebook.com/mtnvi....

--Images courtesy of Mountain View Fire Department, Humane Society Silicon Valley