The Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo recently partnered with Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control to assist shelters overwhelmed by the displacement of animals caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.
The Woods Humane Society brought in a total of 32 animals — 14 cats and 18 dogs — from shelters in the Los Angeles area. The organization made two trips, with their transport van filled to capacity both times, according to Robin Coleman, Woods Humane Society community engagement manager.
This partnership allowed LA shelters to make room for temporarily displaced animals and work to reunite pets with their owners, according to Jamie Relth, Woods Humane Society director of development.
“It took over 12 hours for them to get there and back with plumes of smoke in the background,” Coleman said. “It was a very long, tense day the first time we went down there.”
Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control oversees seven different Los Angeles shelters. Woods Humane Society took in animals from the Carson/Gardena and Agoura locations, Relth said.
“They just have too much to manage down there at the moment,” Relth said. “We’re just trying to help them make space in their shelters so they can help with the emergency response.”
The Woods Humane Society is experienced in helping shelters in crisis, Coleman said. They act as a community resource by transferring animals from overcrowded facilities with limited adoption opportunities.
Though the situation in LA was more extreme than the typical cases the shelter usually handles, staff felt an immediate need to step in, Coleman said.
The relocated animals now have a second chance at adoption, Coleman said. Over half of the animals brought in from LA have already been adopted, and a few are still available.
Anya, a senior Belgian Malinois mix, was the first transfer from LA to find a new family, according to Coleman.
“Anya was in the shelter prior to coming to Woods, but she got adopted on one of her first days available,” Relth said. “That’s a great outcome for these animals that have been in the shelter system and have been looking for homes for quite a while.”
Coleman thanked the community for their support.
“The day our van was coming back [from LA], we had a line of fosters out the door,” Coleman said. “We really could not do it without the support of the community.”
Ali Tafesh contributed to the reporting of this story