San Francisco SPCA welcomes pets as wildfire threatens homes

San Francisco SPCA receives pets from overcrowded shelters in OC, as wildfire threatens area

San Francisco SPCA members drove to Southern California to help relieve strained animal shelters, as the region deals with the raging Airport Fire.

SAN FRANCISCO - Raging wildfires in Southern California are forcing evacuations, and as a result, animal shelters in the region are strained with pets who have nowhere to go.

But the San Francisco SPCA has stepped up to provide relief.

Two vans full of dogs and cats made the hours-long trek from Orange County to San Francisco on Tuesday.

The SPCA took in more than 50 pets who had already been at overcrowded shelter, many of them kittens and cats, to create more space for pets directly displaced by the ongoing Aiport Fire.

"What we have going on in California is all the shelters are so full of animals, that when we have a natural disaster or some crisis, there's not much capacity for the local shelter to take in new animals," said veterinarian and SF SPCA CEO Dr. Jennifer Scarlett. "So to avoid euthanasia of those animals, as well as keep lost animals close to their families, we work together with those shelters."

Scarlett said, luckily, the SF SPCA is usually able to find loving homes for most pets within a week.

SF SPCA Chief of Rescue and Welfare Anne Moellering, who spearheaded the effort, was moved to act after seeing coverage of the wildfires.

"I was watching the story of the fires, and see them get worse and worse and reached out to the OC animal center to see what was happening for them, and they asked for help," she said.

Each pet will be examined, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered before being put up for adoption.

Silvia Vergani and her son Francesco Epstein came in looking to adopt a second kitten, and immediately fell in love with one that just arrived from Orange County.

"Especially because the shelter couldn't host all of these kittens, and I know families couldn't adopt them, so it's even more motivating for us to try to find a cat here," said Vergani.

Given the frequency of wildfires in recent years, the SF SPCA said it's seen one encouraging trend emerge - more pet owners heeding early warnings to evacuate.

"The more that we have personal responsibility and follow those evacuation orders, the less we need to do these kinds of transports," said Scarlett. "But life is strange and varied right now, and so I think this really speaks to the community of shelters working together."

Some animals from Orange County will be ready for adoption as early as Wednesday.

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