MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE LOST
POWER, AS DOWNED TREES AND HOME
DAMAGE AFFECTED MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE
AFTER WEEKS OF DRY HEAT,
HAZARDOUS AIR, AND RAGING
FLAMES, WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO
BLAZE UP AND DOWN THE WEST COAST
AND RESCUE MISSIONS ARE UNDER
WAY TO FIND ANYONE WHO MIGHT
STILL BE ALIVE IN THE DEBRIS AND
ASHES, INCLUDING ANIMALS
THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR
ANIMAL WELFARE, A GLOBAL
NONPROFIT, HAS DEPLOYED ITS TEAM
TO CALIFORNIA TO FIND AND RESCUE
ANIMALS SEPARATED FROM THEIR
FAMILIES OR STUCK IN THE RUBBLE.
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER FOR
DISASTER RESPONSE JENNIFER
GARDNER IS ONE OF THE RESCUERS
WHO CROSSES THE FIRE LINES, JUST
THIS WEEK SHE FOUND AN OLDER DOG
INJURED AND TRAUMATIZED AND IN
NEED OF RESCUE
GIVEN THE NICKNAME "WONDER," THE
ORGANIZATION IS TAKING CARE OF
HER WHILE SEARCHING FOR HER
FAMILY
JENNIFER GARDNER AND WONDER JOIN
ME NOW
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORK AND JUST
THE REMARKABLE EFFORTS YOU MAKE
TO SAVE THESE ANIMALS.
>> YEAH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT
IS THE QUITE A DEVASTATING SCENE
HERE IN BUTTE COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA
AND SO WE HAVE REALLY BEEN
WORKING HARD
THERE ARE -- IT’S A BIG TEAM
HERE THAT’S HELPING TO FIND
ANIMALS AND PROVIDE THE CARE
THAT THEY NEED UNTIL THEY’RE
ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR
FAMILIES
>> WHAT CONDITION IS WONDER IN
TALK TO ME ABOUT WONDER AND HOW
SHE MANAGED TO SURVIVE AND
WHAT’S HER CONDITION
>>> I HAVE WONDER WITH ME HERE
TODAY.
I DO NOT KNOW HOW SHE SURVIVED
THE PROPERTY WHERE WE FOUND HER,
ALL OF THE NEIGHBORING AREAS
WERE BURNED.
I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT WAS
WHERE SHE LIVED.
THE CARS WERE MELTED, THE
STRUCTURES WERE GONE
AND SOMEHOW SHE JUST HAPPENED TO
BE AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE
RIGHT TIME, WHILE WE WERE THERE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET HER TO
SAFETY
BUT SHE’S DOING WELL HERE.
WE’VE HAD HER CHECKED OUT BY A
VETERINARIAN, SHE’S GETTING
GREAT CARE
SHE’S REALLY SWEET
WAS SHE SO SCARED IN THE
BEGINNING WHEN WE FOUND HER BUT
NOW SHE’S COMING AROUND, SHE HAS
A NICE LITTLE PEP TO HER STEP
AND SHE’S JUST A REALLY SWEET
DOG.
>> HOW DO YOU TRY TO REUNITE THE
PETS, THE ANIMALS, WITH THEIR
OWNERS, THEIR FAMILIES, WHEN
MOST OF THE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN
BURNED OUT, THEY’VE EVACUATED?
HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO TRY TO BRING
THEM TOGETHER?
>> WELL, SO WHAT WE’VE DONE HERE
IS, THERE’S AN EMERGENCY SHELTER
THAT’S BEEN SET UP, AND FOR ALL
OF THE ANIMALS WHERE WE DO NOT
HAVE A CURRENT OWNER FOR THEM,
THEY ARE STAYING HERE.
AND THE PICTURES OF THESE
ANIMALS ARE UP ON THE WEBSITE,
OWNERS CAN COME AND RECLAIM
THEIR PETS
AND IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO TAKE
THEM BECAUSE THEY’VE LOST THEIR
HOMES, THE ANIMALS WILL STAY
HERE
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
CARE FOR THEM UNTIL THEY’RE ABLE
TO GO HOME
>> NOW, ARE THERE SOME LARGE
ANIMALS AS WELL, DO YOU HAVE
SOME FARM ANIMALS THAT YOU’VE
RESCUED?
>> YES, SO THERE IS ANOTHER
PROPERTY, ANOTHER EMERGENCY
SHELTER IS SET UP THAT THE NORTH
VALLEY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP IS
MANAGING
THERE ARE MANY HORSES AND GOATS
AND CHICKENS THERE AS WELL AS
OTHER FARM ANIMALS
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTOS
WE’RE SHOWING, OUR TEAMS HAVE
BEEN OUT THERE AS WELL TO HELP
EVACUATE SOME OF THESE ANIMALS
THAT HAVE MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED
THESE FIRES.
IT’S REALLY QUITE DEVASTATING
AND UNBELIEVABLE IN SOME OF
THESE SITUATIONS, LIKE THOSE
GOATS, FOR EXAMPLE
WE JUST DON’T KNOW HOW THEY
SURVIVED
THAT FIRE IS JUST SO HOT
EVERYTHING IS JUST GONE.
AND THEY WERE IN A PEN, AND, I
MEAN, IT TRULY WAS A MIRACLE
>> AND HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SOME
HEARTWARMING REUNIONS ALREADY?
>> OH, YEAH.
OF COURSE THAT’S KIND OF THE
HIGHLIGHT TO EVERYBODY’S DAY
HERE
IT’S REALLY BUSY DAYS IN THE
SHELTER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
WALKING DOGS AND CLEANING, IT
TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT
AND IT’S REALLY HARD WORK.
WHEN WE HEAR THAT AN OWNER IS
COMING TO TAKE HOME THEIR
ANIMAL, EVERYBODY SORT OF
GATHERS IN THE FRONT AND THE
TEARS START FLOWING.
IT’S REALLY EMOTIONAL FOR OWNERS
WHO HAVE LOST EVERYTHING TO BE
ABLE TO COME GET THEIR PET OR AT
LEAST SEE THEIR PET AND KNOW
THEY’RE OKAY
WHEN THESE FIRES HAPPEN,
SOMETIMES PEOPLE AREN’T AT HOME,
AND THEY’RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE
THEIR PETS BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT
THERE, AND THERE’S JUST NOT
ENOUGH TIME.
IT’S SUCH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF
DISASTER COMPARED TO A
HURRICANE, FOR EXAMPLE
AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW SCARY
THAT WOULD BE, TO HAVE EVACUATED
AND NOT KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON
WITH YOUR PET.
WHEN THEY COME IN AND THEY’RE
ABLE TO FIND THEY’RE OKAY, IT’S
REALLY AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE,
VERY HEARTWARMING.
IT REALLY MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT.
>> THANK YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE
IN YOUR TEAMS FOR WHAT YOU’RE
DOING.
IT MAKES ALL OF US FEEL THERE’S