Bay Area nonprofit comes to rescue of pets affected by wildfire
REDDING, Calif. (KGO) -- One of the challenges when dealing with rescue efforts from wildfires is deciding where to house all the affected pets. Many people have had to keep their dogs in temporary shelters.
Some Bay Area organizations and companies have quickly mobilized to help these pets.
RELATED: How to help Carr Fire victims in Redding and Shasta County, California
Carol Hopewell of MAD Dog Rescue was loading up a van full of crates and pet supplies as people came to drop off donations.
"Basically right now, we need food, cleaning supplies, paper towels, Clorox wipes, bleach, food bowls, water bowls," said Hopewell.
VIDEO: Group tries to corral horse running free in Carr Fire area
Many of these supplies are being gathered by another nonprofit, The Milo Foundation in Richmond.
When word spread that the animals shelters in Redding and Clearlake needed crates and litter boxes, people began dropping them off here.
RELATED: How to prepare your pets in case of disaster
MAD Dog Rescue has been taking these supplies up north.
One of the largest pet rescue shelters had to relocate to Anderson just 10 miles from Redding.
The animals were moved to a strip mall and are now housed in seven storefront locations.
PHOTOS: Massive Carr Fire tears through Shasta County
"They are very full up there and they are doing a fantastic job. They have a lot of volunteers and a have a full staff up there working around the clock to make sure the animals are cared for," explained Hopewell.
People have had to drop off their animals at these temporary shelters because they can't take them along as many are staying at hotels, shelters or with relatives.
The need for supplies is now greater than ever. The Milo Foundation is working with Pet Food Express located in Oakland. On Monday, they quickly loaded pallets with bags of food. The crates and litter boxes were ready to go, a lesson learned from previous fires.
RELATED: DIY: How to make a pet carrier in case of emergency
"Unfortunately, we've been here before and even before last year's fires, we've been involved in a lot of rescue efforts so we try to have products ready," said Michael Levy of Pet Food Express.
This shipment will likely be delivered to the animals shelters by mid-week.
In response to the devastating wildfires in Shasta County, Tri Counties Bank has created a verified GoFundMe campaign to help those impacted by the fires. Click here if you'd like to help.
Get the latest on the Carr Fire here, the Complex Fire here and the latest on wildfires across California here.
