California fires and animal victims

November 19th, 2008

October and November are dangerous months for Southern Californians. Dry, hot weather and gusty Santa Ana winds combine with disastrous consequences for anyone within a mile of combustible material. Every year people lose their homes, and sometimes their lives, trying to escape mother nature’s wrath. Compounding this annual tragedy is the saga of the animals left behind.

The LA Land blog at the LA Times ran a great piece on this yesterday, including evacuation tips. My advice - and plea - is that you never leave your household pets behind. Locked up in a house or yard, animals are totally defenseless against the encroaching flames. As a pet owner, you are 100% responsible for the safety of your entire pack. Your pets depend on you; don’t let them down.

For those of you with larger animals like horses, some good advice from the Humane Society.

Please consider donations to the SPCA LA.

Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

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