The San Francisco SPCA has received 30 animals from shelters overrun with pets rescued from the Los Angeles wildfires, the nonprofit announced Wednesday.
“We’re acting as a kind of safety valve, essentially,” said SF SCPA spokesperson Naomi Weisenberg.
To make room for the arrivals, the SF shelter on Friday launched a free puppy adoption program. Normally, the adoption fee for puppies is $400. So far, 71 animals, including 25 puppies, have been adopted.
Weisenberg said it’s the first transfer of L.A. shelter animals to the SF SPCA during the fires that have devastated the region. In October, the SF SPCA took in 60 animals from Orange County during the Bridge, Line, and Airport fires, which torched 123,534 acres and razed more than 100 homes.
Jill Tucker, CEO of the California Animal Welfare Association, which facilitates animal transfers during natural disasters, said families are often forced to surrender their pets when they are evacuated.
Shelters in disaster areas can become overrun with displaced animals, so it’s “critically important” to be able to transfer adoption-ready pets that were already in shelters to other facilities, Tucker said.
“We’re not transferring fire animals out; we’re taking out animals that were previously adoptable to free up kennel space, staff, and vets,” she said.
She estimated that there are at least 1,000 adoption-ready pets still in L.A. County shelters.
The fires in Los Angeles have killed at least 25 people, displaced tens of thousands, and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings in what might be the most expensive set of blazes in the nation’s history.
The fires started Jan. 7, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds that have posed problems for the large forces of firefighters deployed in areas of the sprawling city. Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, and Hurst fires have consumed a total of about 63 square miles. On Wednesday, Cal Fire reported containment of the Palisades fire at 19% and the Eaton fire at 45%.
Government agencies haven’t provided preliminary damage estimates, but AccuWeather, a company that provides data on weather and its impact, puts the damage and economic losses at $250 billion to $275 billion.
The SF SPCA has scheduled a second transport mission for next week, should Los Angeles shelters require more support. Foster volunteers — especially dog fosters — are also needed for animals currently in the shelter. Those interested can sign up at volunteers.sfspca.org/VOLC_Login.