When a wildfire hits and people have to evacuate their homes, they often refuse to leave their pets behind. They pack their dogs in carriers and crates and head to the nearest emergency animal shelter, if there is one.
But increasingly people are refusing to separate from their pets, even if that means they can鈥檛 sleep in an evacuation center.
That was the case during the massive wildfire in Northern California that erupted last week.
Amy Faubion said she wanted to sleep in the air-conditioned shelter with her dogs, but she couldn't
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 allow you with pets in there," Faubion said. "So, I had to sleep with them on the ground in their crates, and I slept in the passenger seat of my car. Actually, I didn鈥檛 really sleep.鈥�
Others were doing the same: braving triple-digit temperatures and thick smoke to sleep next to their cats and dogs.This wasn鈥檛 safe, and with so many people pouring into these shelters with pets in tow, the centers needed to set up another option.
Eventually, they did. Volunteers cleared out a warehouse at the campus farm and hauled in a large air conditioner so people could sleep next to their pets.
Then Dr. Kara Tennant of Care Animal Hospital in Redding volunteered her staff.
"I heard that animals were overheating because they were all on the football field," Tennant said. "Our clinic was evacuated, so we were closed today anyway.鈥�
She wasn鈥檛 surprised that most people wouldn鈥檛 leave their pets behind. She says pets are family: they are like children.
鈥淭hey used to just stay outside," Tennant said. "But now they鈥檙e in the house, they are in our beds, they鈥檙e with our kids, they鈥檙e the family. People don鈥檛 want to leave them. People don鈥檛 want them to suffer. 鈥�
Judy Henderson also slept in her truck with her pets during her first night at the shelter. She says she knows why people stick by their cats and dogs.
鈥淭hey don't abandon you when you're sick," Henderson said. "They鈥檙e right there for you. They don鈥檛 abandon you when you鈥檙e sad or lonely. They're right there for you. That鈥檚 why people are so dedicated to their animals.鈥�
Henderson was looking for her cat that ran away. She was distraught.
"When I don鈥檛 feel good she鈥檚 right there in my face and giving me little pats on the cheek and loving me and stuff, and you can鈥檛 say that about a lot of people," Henderson said.
Robert Miller also lost his cat, but it was before he got to the shelter. He told me doesn鈥檛 even like him very much, because he鈥檚 a typical cat: he meows a lot. He gets in your face. He鈥檚 kind of annoying.
But his daughter loves the cat, and he loves his daughter, Jesse. He tried to keep a handle on the cat as they were evacuating, but he just slipped through his arms.
鈥淚 told Jesse if he doesn鈥檛 want to get caught, he won鈥檛 get caught," Miller said. "And I feel, it鈥檚 the most鈥� It鈥檚 the most important thing to her. And, I tried to get back to get him, but they wouldn't let me in."
Emotions are high in a tragedy such as this. Stress and anger and sadness come bubbling up in different ways. And if people could sleep knowing that their dog or cat is safe nearby, they could at least have that bit of reassurance. That they didn鈥檛 abandon their family.
