EARS Volunteers Helping Pets Displaced by Rim Fire in Butte County, California

OROVILLE, CA (June 25, 2008) – Today Sacramento-based United Animal Nations (UAN) began deploying trained volunteers from across Northern California to help care for pets being displaced by the Rim Fire at a temporary animal shelter in Oroville.

Volunteers with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) are deploying at the request of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG)  to shelter approximately 200 dogs, cats and other animals rescued from behind fire lin es or evacuated by their families. The animal population may increase as evacuating residents continue to drop off their pets. 

“Our EARS volunteers are trained in emergency sheltering, and they are ready, willin  g and able to come to ButteCounty at a moment’s notice to help care for the animals being put at risk by this fire,” said UAN Director of Programs Karen Brown.

UAN recently deployed 12 EARS volunteers to help NVADG and other organizations care for animals displaced by the Humboldt Fire. EARS volunteers will support NVADG at the Rim Fire by providing shelter management, routine animal care, and general upkeep and cleaning of the shelter. Many of the EARS volunteers have significant experience operating emergency shelters during natural disasters.

UAN also offers these tips to help pet owners prepare for fires and other emergencies:

• Assemble an animal disaster kit that includes food, water, medications, a leash or cat carrier, and photos of you with your animals to prove ownership in case you are separated.
• Identify all animals with a tag and microchip so they can be more easily reunited if separated.
• Bring pets along if evacuating. Options for evacuating with pets include:

  – Seek refuge in a hotel that allows pets. A searchable database of pet-friendly accommodations is available at www.petswelcome.com or www.BringYourPets.com.

  – Leave pets with loved ones or board them at a professional kennel safely out of the fire’s reach.

  – As a last resort, bring animals to the temporary emergency animal shelter, located at Spring Valley Elementary School K-3,

  2771 Pentz Road,

  Oroville.

• For horse owners, make sure a horse trailer and truck that can pull it are available. If you do not have a trailer or enough trailer space for the number of horses you have, work out ahead of time other arrangements for transporting your horse(s). Don’t rely on a responding agency to be able to assist you in a fire.

For more disaster planning tips, visit www.uan.org.

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