After a long week of animal evacuees being brought to and housed at the Humane Society of Ventura County, we are happy to see so many animals begin the transition back home.

On Wednesday, October 30th, the HSVC took in 35 evacuated horses from the Easy Fire, most of which have already returned home. After recovering from the rapid influx of animals, we experienced the day before; the Maria Fire broke out between Santa Paula and Somis on the evening of October 31st. Many of our staff had gone home for the night and without hesitation, reported right back to work to assist with the new round of evacuations that continuously flowed in until nearly 3 am the following morning.

From both the Easy and Maria Fires, the Humane Society of Ventura County housed a total of 284 animals between October 30th and November 1st. The majority of animals were goats with 157 temporarily calling the shelter home. There were also 63 sheep, 47 horses, 12 chickens, 4 pigs, and 1 cow. While many of the animals have since returned home, there remain 67 animals still in the Shelter's care. If your evacuated animals are here, they are in good hands and are welcome to stay here as long as needed at no charge.

For three years straight, the Humane Society of Ventura County has functioned as an evacuation center for animals displaced as a result of the California wildfires. Beginning with the Thomas Fire in 2017, our staff and community as a whole are adjusting to this new normal, and having an evacuation plan that includes your animals is now more important than ever. As always, we offer our disaster relief and sheltering services at absolutely no charge to anyone who needs our help.

We are so grateful for the many wonderful people in our community who have repeatedly come together in support of displaced animals. You have made a difference in these animals' lives and each of ours! Our hearts go out to all those affected by these disasters, as does our respect and admiration for everyone who went above and beyond to protect the people and animals in danger's way. Many of the animals that were housed at the Humane Society of Ventura County were brought by volunteers such as the Emergency Volunteer Rescue Team (EVRT) who had stepped up during a great time of need to transport animals into safety.

Thank you all for your support. As a private nonprofit animal welfare organization, we rely one hundred percent on the generosity of our community to offer disaster relief services to the people and animals of Ventura County and beyond. If you would like to support our ongoing efforts, please consider making a donation or purchasing an item from our Wish List.

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