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A San Bernardino Animal Services officer rescues a fish in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire. | Photo courtesy of the city of San Bernardino
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San Bernardino Animal Services Department staffers have been assisting their counterparts in Los Angeles following the deadly wildfire that devastated Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu.
On Jan. 15, the city received a formal request for animal control assistance from the city of LA following the Palisades Fire.
Animal Services and Riverside County, San Bernardino County and the city of Mission Viejo in Orange County sent animal control officers to the fire zone to search for and rescue pets and wild animals that were lost, left behind or injured.
“Helping other jurisdictions in need following a disaster is not only the right thing to do, but our staff gain crucial skills that can help San Bernardino’s residents if something were to happen here,” San Bernardino Animal Services Director Kris Watson said in a statement Tuesday.
Animal Services Supervisor Arianna Gonzalez, Lead Animal Control Officer Eduardo Alvarez and Animal Control Officers Patrick Galvan, Jasmine Torres and Estevan Barajas worked in shifts traveling to Los Angeles to take part in the effort.
“Seeing the devastation was heartbreaking and the conditions were difficult, but locating lost pets and returning them to their grateful owners was very rewarding,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “The appreciation from local residents, including comedian Jay Leno, made the hard work worth it.”
The officers’ day would start with a list of addresses and pet owners hoping to locate or get an update on pets they had to leave behind, according to the city statement.
In one instance, San Bernardino officers informed a resident whose home was destroyed that the 28 fish in one of her koi ponds had survived the blaze. San Bernardino personnel were able to find and evacuate the fish, which are now recovering in a pond at DreamWorks Studios.
“She was so happy that their fish were OK,” Gonzalez said. “It gave them hope in what was a terrible situation.”
Officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city for paid staff time.
The 23,448-acre Palisades Fire caused the deaths of at least 12 people, destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged 1,017.
