At a shelter about 170 miles north from us, dozens and dozens of animals were waiting for their forever homes. Some had been waiting for weeks, while some were waiting to finish up treatments for kennel cough or upper respiratory infections before being placed up for adoption. But all were looking forward to a bright future.
Then, the fires hit.
That shelter up north became a refuge for animals impacted by the fire, including pets of owners who had to evacuate and couldn't take them. But space was filling up fast, so the shelter reached out and asked if we could take those animals that had been waiting for homes before the fires started.
On Saturday morning, our crew loaded up with coffee (thanks, Lauren!) and started the long drive north.
There, they worked quickly to assess animals and load as many as we could into the van.
Altogether, we brought 67 animals back from the shelter. They arrived back at HSSV late in the afternoon.
Our team quickly got to work making sure every animal was vaccinated and started on any necessary medications.
Our foster team took over and sent out pleas to our foster families, who stepped up BIG TIME. Nearly every animal we brought in went home with a foster family that night. We couldn't be more grateful for their support.
So, what's next?
We're on standby, ready to help by taking more animals as needed.
The animals we already rescued are making their way through our system - some are already starting to go up for adoption, while some are finishing up treatments. As they become available, they'll show up on our website at www.hssv.org/adopt.
This is Angora. She was rescued from the fires and became available for adoption today. Unsurprisingly, she was already adopted.
Now you might be asking yourself - this is great, but how do I help?
We need adopters! To make room for incoming animals from the fire areas, we need more space. By adopting an animal from us, you'll help us free up adoption space for the fire-affected animals. You'll also help us free up space in our foster homes so that we have room to take in more animals from fire areas if needed.
This is Bridget, and we love her. You can find her in our Sunshine Room at our Milpitas ACC.
This weekend only, adopt any cat or kitten for only $20 at any of our locations. Adopt a new family member and help fire-affected animals in the process - it's a win-win.
Piper is FeLV positive, snuggly, and overall perfect.
(Plus, cats make excellent cuddlers if you're looking for a pal to hang indoors with while you're avoiding smoke. Hint hint.)
Roxie might skip the cuddles, but she is ALWAYS down to play. She's also learning how to high five. No, we're not kidding.
So come in. Stop by any of our locations. We're full to the brim with tons of different animals - everything from tiny kittens and puppies to small dogs to cats of every size and color to large dogs to rabbits and more.
See you there, right?
