Fires inspire support for pets in L.A. shelters

A gorgeous winter sunset glistened off the hull of the twin-engine turboprop as it slowly slipped below the red rock cliffs surrounding the tiny, high desert town of Kanab, Utah, home of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

It was the end of a 380-mile Wings of Rescue flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, and down on the tarmac, Best Friends staff and volunteers chatted excitedly about meeting the special passengers onboard this special flight — 58 cats and 26 dogs from Los Angeles.

[Best Friends mobilizes to save pets from L.A. wildfires]

The animals left behind a community still reeling from ongoing fires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. But still, people in L.A. and all across the country came together to help these animals get to safety, with many more lifesaving trips planned for the coming days.

The flight, combined with other trips by van, is part of Best Friends’ ongoing work with shelters impacted by the L.A. fires to determine which adoptable pets can be moved out of the immediate area to make space for pets displaced by the fire. The airlift to Utah, the first of what likely will be more in the coming weeks, is part of that effort.

The warm hearts there to greet the animals that morning belied the frigid 14-degree temperatures, making it a genuinely happy occasion. Yet there was also a serious sense of purpose on the faces of the people there to take the animals on the short ride to the Sanctuary. Soon this precious cargo, finally free from fire, smoke, and stress, would be tucked away in warm blankets for the night.

The dogs and cats on the flight to Utah are only some of the influx of animals Best Friends has taken in from area shelters since the fires first broke out. Just as fast as plans come together to send adoptable pets out of state, the local community is answering the call to bring animals home with them.

Brittany Thorn, Best Friends executive director in Los Angeles, recalls a single day at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in L.A. when 110 animals (40 dogs and 70 cats) arrived from city and county shelters. When vans filled with animals arrived, they were greeted with a beautiful sight.

“We had a lobby full of people just waiting to foster, adopt, or help in any way possible,” says Brittany. “It was incredible to see.” The veterinary and foster teams jumped into action to check each pet and match them with people eager to help them. Over the next few hours, Brittany says, they sent 73 animals out to foster and adoptive homes.

[Adoptable pets from L.A. wildfires arrive in Utah]

Since January 7, the first day of the fires, Best Friends has moved hundreds of animals to safe locations. This includes over 260 who have come into Best Friends’ care in L.A., Salt Lake City, or the Sanctuary in Kanab, and over 100 animals have moved from Best Friends to other organizations. It is truly a group effort.

A throughline in the response to this unprecedented disaster has been people’s eagerness to help. Over 100 dogs and cats, so far, have arrived at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Salt Lake City, with more planned to head there. It’s only possible because people in Salt Lake City are willing and able to assist.

“It's been incredible up here,” says Danielle Barnhart, Best Friends senior manager of lifesaving programs in Salt Lake City. “More organizations are stepping up to help, and we’ve had hundreds of people reach out to foster animals as well.”

With the Best Friends Network of more than 5,000 partner organizations around the country, there’s a structure in place to respond quickly when disaster strikes. The calls from shelters in Los Angeles have been to take in medium and large dogs. So the Best Friends Network team is forwarding that request and giving out $500 stipends to partner organizations to help defray their costs. Within days, more than 50 partners have responded to help.

In the week since the fires first broke out, the needs to support animals and people in L.A. continue to evolve. Best Friends’ goal remains the same: work together to support pets and their people to save lives.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.