Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
SAN BERNARDINO, CA–– For the past three weeks, staff members from the San
Bernardino Animal Services Department have been assisting their counterparts in Los Angeles following the devastating fire that hit the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas.
On January 15, the City received a formal request for animal control assistance from the City of Los Angeles in response to the Palisades Fire.
The San Bernardino Department of Animal Services joined teams from Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Mission Viejo by sending animal control officers to the area affected by the fire to search and rescue pets and wild animals that were lost, left behind, or injured.
“Helping other jurisdictions in need following a disaster is not only the right thing to do, but our staff gain crucial skills that can help San Bernardino’s residents if something were to happen here,” said San Bernardino Animal Services Director Kris Watson.
City of San Bernardino Animal Services Supervisor, Arianna Gonzalez, Lead Animal Control Officer, Eduardo Alvarez as well as Animal Control Officers Patrick Galvan, Jasmine Torres and Estevan Barajas worked in shifts travelling to Los Angeles to assist in the effort.
“Seeing the devastation was heartbreaking and the conditions were difficult, but locating lost pets and returning them to their grateful owners was very rewarding,” said Animal Services Supervisor Arianna Gonzalez. “The appreciation from local residents, including comedian Jay Leno, made the hard work worth it.”
The Animal Control officers would start the day with a list of addresses and pet owners hoping to either find or receive an update on pets they had to leave behind.
In one case, the San Bernardino team was able to let a relieved homeowner know that the 28 fish in one of her koi ponds had survived the fire. Although her house was destroyed, staff were able to locate and evacuate the fish from the disaster area, and they are now recovering in a pond at DreamWorks Studios.
“She was so happy that their fish were ok,” added Gonzalez. “It gave them hope in what was a terrible situation. The City of San Bernardino will be reimbursed for staff time by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
