Emergency Response Program Assists Animals Affected by Disasters

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

Due to increases in California wildfires, Placer County Animal Services (PCAS) has responded to emergencies in neighboring counties to provide animal rescue, medical treatment, and open evacuation centers. A wildfire in June 2016, prompted PCAS to assess the prevalence of natural disasters and its role in providing disaster relief. The result was a comprehensive disaster response program that called for training, equipment, and mobilizing our community partners. In November 2018 the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, devastated Butte County, killing many people, destroying over 14,000 structures, and displacing thousands of animals. PCAS immediately put the comprehensive response program into action to help. Our officers, veterinarians, kennel attendants and partners delivered medical care, recovered animals, and provided emergency sheltering. We also helped during the ongoing recovery by providing kennel space to injured and displaced animals until those who lost homes found a new place to live. PCAS continues to transfer and adopt out unclaimed pets and is caring for neonatal kittens from the Paradise Animal Shelter (PAS). Our ability to provide effective aid was the result of the comprehensive response program developed just a few years back. It helped us locate, treat, reunite, and place pets into new homes.