Pets separated from families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires are fighting for their lives… with limited access to food and water.
The heartbreaking situation unfolds in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, where people’s pets have been left to fend for themselves under the rubble.
There is no food or water left for cats, dogs and other pets that survived the fires… Chris Wallace Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control.
The only way to feed and water these displaced animals is for their owners to call LA Animal Care and Control and request an animal welfare check at a specific address. However, some areas cannot be accessed by anyone.
This means that if displaced residents think their pet is dead and don’t call for checks, the animals are unlikely to find food if they are actually alive.
We were also told that there are no active patrols in Altadena or Palisades looking for displaced animals…mainly due to safety concerns, electrical wires and gas leaks making the area unsafe.
The thing is…residents can’t just go back into burn zones to look for pets…law enforcement keeps people out and only a select few in.
The Pasadena Humane Society previously said they were approved to send search parties into affected areas and randomly drop food out…but now they’re telling us that’s not actually happening.
Valles said Animal Control is working around the clock responding to animal welfare checks … crews respond to calls about small pets and larger animals such as livestock.
We’re told Animal Control went to a residence in Palisades on Tuesday to check on the koi pond, and some of the fish were dead, but the rest were saved.
Other welfare checks Wednesday included a woman calling about a colony of cats she was feeding in Altadena … and another resident concerned about their horse.
Another sad reality facing these pets…many wild animals are also displaced…and hungry coyotes and mountain lions are likely scavenging the devastated neighborhoods for food.
The situation is pretty dire… tonight will be the 9th night of displaced pets without food or water.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … There has been an underground operation where residents leave food and water themselves when they are able to enter disaster areas.
For animal welfare checks, please call 213-270-8155
