First came Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, flooding Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Then wildfire, fanned by vicious Diablo winds, swept over Santa Rosa and the California wine country, displacing thousands of humans and their pets and destroying complete neighborhoods.
Because most emergency shelters for humans are unable to house animals, many beloved pets required temporary placement in animal shelters. With shelters closest to the fires filled beyond capacity, surrounding agencies sprang into action, taking in hundreds (if not thousands) of displaced pets.
There are many ways you can help, but the best gift you can give is cash. It may seem like a nice gesture to donate food or dog beds but overtaxed agencies usually do not have the manpower or facilities to manage such tangible gifts.
Because wildfires by their nature affect relatively smaller areas than hurricanes, local and regional animal welfare organizations do the bulk of the work. We’ve scoured the Web to find the most effective organizations who can benefit from your help.
Sonoma Humane Society and its Amazon Wish List.
KQED’s “California Report” offers a list of additional agencies.
