CHICO, CA (June 13, 2008) – Today Sacramento-based United Animal Nations (UAN) began deploying trained volunteers from across Northern California to help care for animals being displaced by the Humboldt fire at a temporary shelter in Chico.

Volunteers with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) are working with the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG) to shelter approximately 200 dogs and cats rescued from behind the fire lines or evacuated by their families. The animal population is expected to increase as rescue crews continue bringing in stranded animals. 

Tara Goddard of Davis, California spends quality time with a canine evacuee, as smoke from the Humboldt Fire gathers on the horizon.

“Our EARS volunteers are trained in emergency sheltering, and they are ready, willing and able to come to Butte  County at a moment’s notice to help NVADG care for the animals being put at risk by this fire,” said UAN Director of Field Services Shannon Asquith.

“This is a large incident, and we couldn’t have handled this without UAN and its EARS volunteers,” said Sandy Doolittle, a board member of NVADG. “They have already made a big difference.”

Evacuees of the Humboldt Fire are encouraged to bring their pets to the temporary shelter at Butte County Search and Rescue Center at 2591 Morrow Lane. Residents needing a pet to be rescued from behind the fire lines can call the NVADG hotline at (530) 895-0000.

Residents wanting to support these animal relief efforts are encouraged to make cash donations to UAN at www.uan.org or to NVADG at www.nvadg.org. Donations of food and other supplies are not needed at this time.

EARS volunteers will support NVADG by providing shelter management, routine animal care, and general upkeep and cleaning of the shelter for the duration of the situation. Many of the EARS volunteers have significant experience operating emergency shelters during natural disasters.

Read about this response and see more photos on our blog.

With more than 4,000 trained volunteers, UAN can deploy its Emergency Animal Rescue Service when communities become overburdened by a crisis involving large numbers of animals. In its 20-year history, UAN has responded to more than 80 natural disasters and other crises, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005; the Stevens Fire near Colfax, California in 2004; and the San Bernardino, California wildfires in 2003. 

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