Animals large and small saved by a rescue network forged by years of Bay Area wildfires – San Francisco Chronicle
August 28th, 2020 2:54 amIts very quiet right now at Sweet Farm in Half Moon Bay. No chickens clucking, no cows mooing, no goats bleating. In fact, no animals currently live on the 12-acre farm.
On Thursday night, about 35 farm staff and volunteers hauled 175 animals out of the nonprofit sanctuary as the CZU Lightning Complex fires grew.
Sweet Farm owners Nate Salpeter and Anna Sweet had taken in 35 evacuated animals from a sanctuary farther south on Wednesday night. But within 24 hours, the evacuation zone was extended to just the other side of their farms ridgeline. So they jumped into action.
Theres a vast network of sanctuaries and also various animal rescue groups that all come together in moments of crisis, Salpeter said. People really step up when its needed. ... It was a very professional and very coordinated effort.
With the help of the San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group, the animals were shuttled off to sanctuaries a safe distance from the blazes that have engulfed 78,000 acres in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. It was the first wildfire evacuation for Sweet Farm, which opened in 2015.
Theirs is just one of many stories of animal evacuation efforts during the recent rash of lightning-caused wildfires that erupted early last week throughout the Bay Area and beyond. From Daly City to UC Davis to Santa Cruz, a network of agencies, animal owners and volunteers is building on practice from previous fire disasters to coordinate care and shelter.
This recent group of fire complexes across 12 counties endangered many farm and ranchlands, forcing owners to act quickly to move animals of all sizes off their properties.
The San Mateo County Large Animal Evacuation Group specializes in these distinctive challenges that are growing more common as wildfire seasons worsen. Organization President Kris Thoren said the early arrival of wildfires this year underscores the need for large-animal owners to have a plan in place before crisis hits.
Large animals need preparation, Thoren said. Its not like throwing a dog in the back of the car. You need to think ahead, be prepared with your emergency plan and practice that emergency plan.
Salpeter was relieved to have help from volunteers who understood how to handle different types of animals, including their 37-year-old stallion.
These animals come from animal abuse situations and are recovering from different types of traumas, he said. Just last year (the stallion) had ocular cancer and had to have one of his eyes removed. In an evacuation situation, there's a lot of noise and things going on. Not being able to see out of the side of his face becomes even more stressful.
The San Mateo group has been a major piece of the evacuation puzzle. Dozens of its volunteers mobilized to assist with coordination and care at the Cow Palace in Daly City, which is housing nearly 300 large animals evacuated from across San Mateo County, most from the south coast.
In five days, the facility has taken in 75 sheep, 68 cattle, 54 goats, 53 chickens, 36 horses, four peacocks, three llamas, one pig and one donkey.
The San Mateo Office of Emergency Services put the Cow Palace on standby Tuesday afternoon, and county officials activated the facility as an emergency evacuation center less than 24 hours later, said Cow Palace CEO Lori Marshall. As part of the state fairground network, the event center was prepared for the logistical challenge of housing a large number of animals on the fly, she said.
We were already making calls to get stalls and setting up the livestock pens to prepare for the animals, Marshall said.
A group of 75 sheep and three truckloads of cattle were just some of the large animals evacuated to the Cow Palace on Sunday evening. Animals that arrive together are kept in the same pen to give them a sense of normalcy among the upheaval. Every day, more animals arrive, Marshall said.
They are evaluated by a veterinarian, and notes are posted outside the pen or stable to ensure that volunteers know the correct food and medicine that each animal requires.
Pumpkin, a 21-year-old golden palomino horse, and an 18-year-old donkey named Trouble were among the first evacuees to show up. Pumpkin and Trouble are being kept together in the stables set up in the Cow Palace parking lot. Pumpkin receives her evening medicine in a slice of apple and twice-daily feedings of her preferred grass hay, in accordance with her owner Steve Grahams wishes.
We are relieved, Graham said by phone Monday. We were very worried, but its good to know that they are safe and in good hands.
In Yolo County, the renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine also ramped up efforts to help care for animals injured in the LNU Lighting Complex fires. Most are coming from Napa and Solano counties.
Every disaster is different in terms of the types of animals and injuries that we see, said Dr. Bret McNabb, the clinics director. The nature of where the fires have been so far has affected horses and livestock in the area, and its certainly skewing more toward large animal injuries than small at this point.
Since Friday, the clinic has treated four horses, nine alpacas and llamas, two sheep, six goats, and two cats, mostly for burns and smoke inhalation, or secondary complications from wildfires and evacuations. Teams are also deployed in the field at local evacuation centers and with animal control officials behind fire lines to find animals in need of medical attention.
McNabb said while the clinic has been through this before with other wildfires, COVID-19 has provided another level of complexity to keep everyone safe while still trying to provide response, he said. Before, they could squeeze 20 people in the medical area without a second thought. Now they need to be aware of physically distancing.
But one positive from the pandemic is that the staff is already better versed in telemedicine, so the hospital can be reserved for the most critical cases.
We are able to use FaceTime, Zoom and other platforms to communicate with vets at the evacuation centers, McNabb said. This streamlined medical care were able to provide reduces the stress of hauling and transportation.
Santa Cruz animal shelter moves into next phase
Meanwhile, down on the coast, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter moved a majority of its animals out of the shelter on Wednesday night in preparation for evacuations, with 200 pets now in foster care, said general manager Melanie Sobel. Since Thursday morning, a steady flow of dogs and cats has arrived, as well as birds, snakes, geckos, monitor lizards, a frog, a tarantula and two horses. About 400 animals occupy the shelter now.
Sobel said intake has slowed down, and now people are coming in to pick up or drop off donations since many fleeing their homes didnt have time to grab basic supplies. Now the shelter is refocusing efforts.
The next phase were working on is addressing the hundreds of calls for residual pets left by people, such as chickens and outdoor cats, that are not as easy to round up in a panic, Sobel said. Once those areas are clear, were sending teams up there to either help the animals shelter-in-place by providing food and water, or taking them into the shelter.
Some of the worst wildfires in state history have occurred in Northern California in just the past few years. For better or worse, communities are improving response and acting quickly.
The silver lining to come out of past tragedies is everyone is more and more prepared than the last one, McNabb said. The activation of personnel and of resources came together rapidly. Theres been a good job at the local response with local livestock owners, horsemen and volunteers supporting and assisting in working together.
Now, communities are holding their breath, hoping that possible thunderstorms and windy conditions dont worsen the wildfires. If things dont take a turn in the next few days, Salpeter hopes Sweet Farm will have its animals back this weekend, bringing life to the sanctuary once again.
Were staying positive, he said. We have our fingers crossed that the community comes out stronger than before. Even if something did happen, we will get through it.
Kellie Hwang and Nora Mishanec are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com, nora.mishanec@hearst.comTwitter: @KellieHwang., @NMishanec
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Animals large and small saved by a rescue network forged by years of Bay Area wildfires - San Francisco Chronicle