Uplifting “Tails” of Pets Loved, Lost and Found

For true pet lovers, our dogs, cats, turtles and even chinchillas are deeply loved. We can’t imagine our family circle complete without them. During the 2018 Carr Fire that burned nearly 230,000 acres in Shasta and Trinity Counties and the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, thousands of pets had to be left behind or became lost during the emergency and evacuations. Animal-loving volunteers leaped into action, establishing field teams and gaining permission to work in the affected areas. Information spread, well, like wildfire as these volunteers turned to Facebook to help bring pets and their owners back together.

Nearly one year later, Carr Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification has returned many dogs and at least 172 cats to their owners. Assistant Director and Field Administrator Ruthie Cortright urges pet owners to “Assume your pets survived and report them missing to improve your chances of successful reunification. Keep looking until you can confirm they did or did not make it. If you can’t find your pet, don’t give up hope!” She reminds people with newly lost pets to check with animal shelters like the Haven Humane Society in Redding, CA and Butte Humane Society, Chico, CA.

Adore it or despise it, social media proved to be a valuable tool for identifying lost pets and matching them with their families. Facebook pages like Carr Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification (http://www.facebook.com/groups/CarrFirePets) and Camp Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification (http://www.facebook.com/groups/CampFirePetRescueAndReunification) became highly active during the emergencies and have continued to search doggedly for possible pet and owner matches.

Sometimes cats like Irwin look so different that their owners don’t recognize them. Ruthie sings the praises of Stacy Jimenez, a particularly keen matcher who followed her hunch about a senior unclaimed Carr Fire cat who was being fostered. Stacy scours social media and uses online pet rescue tools to match lost pets to possible owners. She presented a photo of a bedraggled, skinny survivor to a family who was certain this wasn’t their 15-pound Irwin. He’d been found seven miles from their home, an impossible distance for their 12-year-old cat to have traveled. Months later, Stacy presented them with a new photo after the cat regained his health and filled out. Instantly, they knew it was Irwin! Almost a year after the fire, he was back with his very grateful people.

Big Ernie, a large gray tabby, became a social media sensation. A wildlife camera in his burned Victoria Way neighborhood west of Redding captured him staring down a raccoon over an emergency feeding station. His stealth helped him survive, and he wasn’t easy to catch. It was three months before this former 15-pound kitty was placed in his owner’s arms, 3 pounds lighter but 100 pounds happier.

When the Camp Fire broke out, Ruthie volunteered right away to support Jennifer Petrusca with her Camp Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification field team. Ruthie recalls an elderly gentleman pleading for help. He had been separated from his 14-year-old blind Chihuahua, Queenie when he came into town for a doctor appointment. A volunteer was sent to his house, still standing on the Paradise border. Inside was Queenie and man and dog were joyfully reunited.

Along with dogs and cats, one of the most intriguing pets recovered from the Camp Fire was a chinchilla. He was a bit crafty and more challenging to transport, having to be returned to his carrier during the journey. But his family was just as relieved as any other pet owner to see their sweet chinchilla again.

These uplifting tales of pets lost and found remind us to include our furry family members in our disaster plans. “Know their hiding spots,” recommends Ruthie, “and bring them inside or secure them in a garage during an active emergency. You may be evacuated at any moment, and you can take them with you. Contain cats in a carrier and keep dogs on a leash. If you don’t have a carrier, go to a pet supply shop or veterinarian, and you can usually get a cardboard carrier.”

Ruthie’s best tip for successful lost pet reunification is to have them microchipped. This “tags” dogs and cats by easily injecting an electronic chip enclosed in a cylinder the size of a grain of rice under the pet’s skin. The microchip can be scanned to collect a unique identification number linked to the owner’s phone number.

Ruthie suggests adding an alternate contact, an out-of-area friend or family member who can be called if the owner is unreachable during an evacuation. Pet owners can take advantage of events or special offers to keep the cost of microchipping at $10 or less. Carr Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification will be hosting such an event on August 3, 2019, at Treats Natural Pets Marketplace located at 1726 Churn Creek Road in Redding.

Use the following resources to find missing furry, feathered or scaly friends or to give a home to a new loving companion.

FACEBOOK
Camp Fire Lost/Found Animals facebook.com/groups/2393041494057581
Camp Fire Pets Lost/Found facebook.com/campfireanimals
Camp Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification facebook.com/groups/CampFirePetRescueAndReunification
Carr Fire Pet Rescue & Reunification facebook.com/groups/CarrFirePets
Lost Pets Redding facebook.com/LostPetsReddingCA

ANIMAL SHELTERS
Butte Humane Society (530) 343-7917 buttehumane.org
Glenn County Animal Control (530) 934-6507 countyofglenn.net/dept/sheriff/animal-control
Haven Humane Society (Shasta) (530) 241-1653 http://www.havenhumane.org
Humane Society Town & Country (530) 517-1754 orlandtownandcountryhumane.org
Shasta Lake Animal Control (530) 275-7480 http://www.cityofshastalake.org/92/Animal-Control
Siskiyou County Animal Control (530) 841-4028 co.siskiyou.ca.us/animalcontrol
Tehama County Animal Services (530) 527-3439 co.tehama.ca.us/animal-services

PET RESCUE
Another Chance Animal Welfare League (Palo Cedro) (530) 547-PETS acawl.org
Rescue Ranch (Yreka; dogs) (530) 842-0829 rrdog.org
ResQ Animal Coalition (Redding) (530) 276-9364 resqac.com
Shasta Sanctuary (Weed) (530) 925-5563 facebook.com/shastasanctuary
Tails of Rescue (Redding) (530) 448-7444 tailsofrescue.org
Wags & Whiskers Pet Rescue (Chico & Willows) (530) 895-8888 wagsandwhiskerspetrescue.com