Fosters and adopters urgently needed for pets displaced by L.A. wildfires
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — Local animal shelters are calling on the community to help provide temporary and permanent homes for pets displaced by the wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
LA Animal Services and Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control are offering fee-waived adoptions and urging residents to foster pets to ease overcrowding in shelters.
The fires have left countless pets separated from their families or in need of immediate shelter, officials said. “By fostering, adopting, or helping to reunite lost pets with their families, we can provide some relief to the many animals who are affected by these fires,” said Annette Ramirez, interim general manager of LA Animal Services.
To encourage participation, all adoption fees for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens will be waived through January. Nonprofit organizations Petco Love and Annenberg PetSpace are sponsoring these no-cost adoptions.
How to help:
Foster a pet: With shelters nearing capacity, fostering a pet provides temporary relief and a safe space until animals can be reunited with their owners or adopted, officials said. Starting Wednesday, additional volunteers will be on hand at LA Animal Services shelters from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist potential foster families.
Adopt a pet: Adoption not only provides an animal with a forever home, it also clears out critical kennel space for displaced pets. Those interested in adoption can visit LA Animal Services or Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control websites to view available pets.
Reunite lost pets: Residents who have lost or found pets are encouraged to use Petco Love Lost, a free national database using photo-matching technology to reconnect pets with their owners. Owners can upload images of their missing pet to increase chances of a successful reunion. Lost pet listings are also available on the city and county websites.
Shelter leaders are confident Angelenos will step up during this critical time. “We know Los Angeles is a compassionate city, and we are counting on our residents to help us in this critical moment,” Ramirez said.
Both L.A. city and county shelters operate seven days a week, with specific hours listed online.
Additional information about fostering, adoption or other ways to help, including donating for for wildfire relief efforts, can be found online.