The Camp fire raging through Butte County is now the most deadly wildfire in California history. Even 2 hours away in Davis, the air is heavy with smoke particulates and university classes have been cancelled for 2 days. It is estimated that upwards of 3,000 pets are lost and displaced in the fire, and it will take up to a year to trap, recover and reunite them with their owners. While immediate monetary donations are incredibly valuable, here's additional ways to help the animals of the camp fire for months to come.
1. Supplies mobilization: supplies will be needed not just now, but for months following 100% containment of the fire. Dog, cat, and livestock feed will be needed, as will cat traps, carriers, leashes, and halters. Bedding including blankets, towels and sheets are needed as well as donations towards medical supplies. Treats and canned food will be needed to help contain fearful animals. Please start networking with friends, families, stores and retailers to donate these items to the Camp fire victims. You can purchase Wishlist items, fundraise money to donate directly, or collect and deliver supplies personally. ** If you are able to collect supplies but are unable to get them up here, please contact me and I will help set up a transport team.
-Camp Fire Pet Rescue and Reunification Amazon Supplies List: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3ARI1AXBTJ3FV?fbclid=IwAR2YfBQZFF4Mq4l7YIQSn8XZX3MofAa02ZANJ71uGGPl-MniNTX23E3X7qI
-The North Valley Animal Disaster Group is accepting monetary donations as well as supplies at the Chico Airport: https://www.nvadg.org/donate?fbclid=IwAR1O-j8DE_W6UZvZKlYv7h2eoXWWwJc9nn2UQkYtwcB89-WN0mbeqCm6_R0
-To donate supplies directly, please pm Jennifer Petruska on Facebook.
-The Butte County humane society is asking for large wire kennels and easy walk-harnesses for large animals. Donations can be sent or delivered to 2580 Fair Street in Chico, CA 95928.
2. Online monitoring and lost report matching: help is needed online to track lost reports of animals in an attempt to match them with found reports from rescue agencies. There are several databases that categorize each report with contact information, animal descriptions and location last seen. These are compared against shelter inventories and found reports from the evacuation centers. This job requires lots of internet sleuthing and attention to detail, as many animals will no longer resemble their previous appearance due to burns/hair loss/etc. Tracking details like microchips/sex/fixed or not fixed/ear tips/identifying marks is crucial! This job does not require you to be on site, and can be done from anywhere!
Please send an email to campfireprr@gmail.com with your name/location/area of interest and you will be added to the database!
3. Trapping, feeding and monitoring: animals are resilient and are known to survive fires even after being left inside a locked house. Rescue teams will be entering burn zones for the next 12 months to attempt to trap and recover lost cats and dogs. This requires people with trapping experience to volunteer on site setting and checking traps each night. We will also need help to monitor traps and replenish food and water, and folks to set up and monitor cameras in each area so that the team can watch for sightings of animal presence.
I am currently working with Camp Fire Pet Rescue and Reunification organization, which recovered over 700 animals in the Sonoma and Napa County Fires. They are mobilizing and coordinating each of the previously mentioned teams. You can join here to sign up for a team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CampFirePetRescueAndReunification/
You can also sign up with Caring Choices as an Emergency Volunteer: call 530-899-3873. Volunteers will be stationed in Chico.
It is important to note that in disasters like this, help is needed not just during the immediate aftermath but for the long haul. Even if you are unavailable at the moment, these organizations will need support in 2 weeks, in 2 months and a year from now. Please keep these links handy in the event that you are able to spare some time in the future!
Stay safe.
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