Latest news with #PasadenaHumane
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Cat severely burned in Eaton Fire returns home after four-month hospital stay
Lounging by the window in her cat condo, Skinny Minnie has a new lease on life after the Eaton Fire nearly killed her. "All four legs were insanely, badly burned," owner Mark Pastor said. Her pet parents Pastor and Lisa De Lange said their other cat Bo woke them up meowing at 2:30 a.m. on the night the deadly wildfire started. When they saw the flames burning the back of their home, they realized they had minutes to evacuate, but couldn't find Skinny Minnie. The Eaton Fire destroyed their West Altadena home. For two weeks, the pair worried about their beloved cat's fate. But when their friend sent an unbelievable social media post from the Pasadena Humane Society, their fears vanished when they saw Skinny Minnie in the hands of a celebrity. "It was a picture from Pasadena Humane that Adrien Brody visited the shelter and he was holding her," Pastor said. "And I turned around and I'm going 'Lisa! Lisa!'" They got to the shelter the next morning and reunited with their injured cat. "She was laying there and she actually reached out, like to say 'Mom, look at my booboos," Pastor said. Skinny Minnie had severe burns on her little face, ears, belly, legs and tail. Her paws were so badly burned that they no longer had pads. More than 30 people at the Pasadena Humane Society took care of the injured cat and after four months, she got to come home. "We just can't thank all of them enough," Pastor said. From the veterinarians to the volunteers who comforted Skinny Minnie, the whole team from the humane society sent them home with a card. Pastor and De Lange are thankful for the kindness and while they are heartbroken for the families who lost loved ones, they hope their cat's story of survival helps people persevere through the rebuilding process. "That she's here to help make other people feel better about what happened and see hope," De Lange said. "That's the only thing we can think of cause nobody should go through what she went through." The Pasadena Humane Society said donations form the community are the only reason that Skinny Minnie had a chance to survive.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Pasadena Humane hosts Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run to support pets and raise vital funds
Excitement filled the air as the 27th annual Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run kicked off in Pasadena, with thousands of participants and their furry companions bringing an infectious energy to the event. Hosted by Pasadena Humane , the event had already raised an impressive $350,000, with more than 2,000 participants expected to gather at Brookside Park, located at 360 N Arroyo Boulevard, at the Rose Bowl. One of the day's highlights was the highly anticipated doggy costume contest. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday, with the walk scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. A mobile adoption unit was also on-site, featuring five or six dogs available for adoption right at the event. "There's a lot of dogs and people and a lot of volunteers," said Kristin Sullivan, a volunteer. "There is so much energy, there is so much excitement." For Pasadena Humane, the event is one of their largest annual fundraisers, supporting vital programs like foster care, a kitten nursery, animal ICU, wildlife care, and more, all aimed at saving the lives of animals in the community. "Animals are expensive to care for in kennel. And we have a fantastic community. We have an amazing support group. We are still getting in a number of strays. We are occasionally getting in some custody dogs. The fundraisers are vital to the mission," Sullivan added. The event is of particular importance this year due to the aftermath of the Eaton fire, with Pasadena Humane playing a key role in caring for lost pets. "We are still caring for about 140 animals whose families just don't have a home to go back to. We are doing that at no charge to them, of course, but that is only possible because of the generosity of our community," said Kevin McManus, a spokesperson for Pasadena Humane. "We have participants from all over. We have adopters from all over. We have supporters from all over . . . it is a really fun day, I am so excited."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bandages removed from paws of bobcat burned in Eaton Fire
A bobcat found dehydrated and burned on all four paws during the Eaton Fire in January has made several steps forward in its recovery, officials said recently. The female bobcat was found in Sierra Madre as the deadly and destructive wildfire raged through the hillsides and nearby communities. 'Our veterinary and wildlife teams cared for her over the coming weeks, changing the bandages on her paws regularly (under sedation) and nursing her back to health,' a Facebook post by Pasadena Human stated last week. Staff minimized their contact with the injured animal while keeping up treatments and allowing the wounds to heal. 'We are so proud of our staff for providing top-notch care while keeping wildlife wild,' the post read. After showing the ability to walk comfortably without the bandages, the bobcat was placed at the California Wildlife Center to continue its recovery in an outdoor space before hopefully being returned to the wild. 'The Eaton Fire had a devastating impact on wild animals, but being a part of their recovery gives us hope for the future of our local ecosystem,' Pasadena Humane stated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
26-03-2025
- General
- Forbes
Shelter Reunites Families With Pets Displaced By L.A. Wildfires
Pasadena Humane took in over 1,500 pets displaced by the Eaton fire that started the evening of ... More January 7, 2025. Now the shelter staff delights in happy reunions and adoptions. As flames from the Eaton fire engulfed a neighborhood in Altadena, California, earlier this year, a family frantically loaded their beloved cat and dog into their car. Suddenly, a neighbor's propane tank exploded — startling Canelo, a pit bull, who jumped out of the vehicle and ran off. His family couldn't find him and had to flee for their lives. A day or two later, someone found Canelo wandering around the burn zone and brought him to Pasadena Humane, a nonprofit animal shelter that serves Altadena, Pasadena and other parts of the San Gabriel Valley devasted by the wildfire. 'He was burned pretty badly,' says Kevin McManus, public relations and communications manager at Pasadena Humane. 'Thankfully, he survived.' Canelo wasn't wearing a collar or microchipped, but the shelter snapped a photo and shared it on the 'found pets' section of their Eaton fire emergency page and got him veterinary care. 'We have an animal ICU here on site, and five full-time veterinarians who work here,' he says. Canelo suffered burns during the Eaton Fire that destroyed his home in Altadena, California. Thanks to the photo, Canelo's family learned he was at Pasadena Humane and came to see him. They'd lost their home to the fire, so the shelter continued to care for Canelo and treat his burned paws and other injuries for nearly a month. When he was ready to leave, the shelter shared a touching reunion video on social media. 'I got to witness when his family came to pick him up to take him home,' McManus says. 'It was just the sweetest. There was not a dry eye in the room. Canelo's whole body was wagging and he was licking the guy's face. The owner said, 'I can buy new things. I can rebuild my home, but I can't buy another Canelo. I can't find another dog like this.' I still get choked up thinking about it.' Canelo is one of over 1,500 pets who landed at Pasadena Humane during the catastrophic Eaton fire, which killed at least 17 people and destroyed more than 9,400 buildings. Pasadena Humane always offers emergency boarding for pets — free of charge — so some animals were temporarily surrendered by evacuees without access to a pet-friendly place to stay. Many others were rescued by firefighters and animal control officers. When the fire erupted on the evening of January 7, shelters throughout the state helped Pasadena Humane make space for an influx of displaced pets by taking around 150 dogs, 50 cats and other pets, like rabbits. The shelter created an emergency hotline for people to report lost, found and left-behind pets, and essentially became a command post to care for displaced pets, with help from other shelters and organizations, including American Humane, K9 Youth Alliance, Marin Humane, ASPCA, Santa Barbara Humane, San Diego Humane Society, Banfield Foundation and VCA Animal Hospitals. Hundreds of volunteers — 'too many to count' — helped sort donations for people affected by the wildfires, clean laundry, direct traffic and do anything that needed to be done to allow shelter staff to focus on caring for the animals coming in, according to McManus. 'We've never taken in that number of animals,' he says. 'All day long, we were just taking in animals, taking in animals, taking in animals. And it was emotionally difficult, but also logistically difficult. We had cats in offices and dogs in crates in our training room, and we were using all the kennels we have in our spay/neuter clinic for housing. We had to be really creative and put animals basically anywhere we could.' So when pets started being reunited with their families, Pasadena Humane would share the good news with the team, which helped boost morale. 'Every time that happened, it was like, 'OK, we're getting closer to getting to some kind of normalcy getting through this crisis,'' he says. 'It was pretty special.' Oreo and Mr. Butter head home with their family after evacuation from the Eaton fire. Like Canelo, many displaced pets suffered burns from the blaze. One cat, Skinny Minnie, was a community cat being fed by a couple hoping to integrate her into their family, which includes two indoor cats. When they had to evacuate, they couldn't find her and had to leave without her. When someone brought Skinny Minnie to Pasadena Humane, she was in such bad shape that she was 'unrecognizable,' according to McManus. 'We had her in an oxygen chamber for a couple of days because she had such bad smoke inhalation,' he recalls. 'She couldn't open her eyes. She had burns on her paws.' Over the course of the next month, whenever Skinny Minnie would get a little better, the shelter would post a new photo of her on its 'found' page. Oscar winner Adrien Brody cuddled the bitty kitty while volunteering, which reportedly helped her relax during her ordeal. Oscar-winner Adrien Brody holds Skinny Minnie at Pasadena Humane earlier this year. Eventually, she'd healed enough that her family could recognize her. 'They had pictures, and she really responded to them,' McManus says. Skinny Minnie is still at the shelter because she's going to need multiple surgeries. 'We're just going to keep doing that until she's as healthy as we can get her,' he says. 'They're such a sweet couple. They come and visit her at least three or four or five times a week and just hang out with her. I'm excited for them to finally be able to take her home.' Skinny Minnie is reunited with her family at Pasadena Humane. Pasadena Humane is still caring for around 150 animals like Skinny Minnie whose families lost their homes. 'Obviously we are not charging people for this,' McManus says. 'This is just something that we do for our community.' So Pasadena Humane welcomes financial donations to help offset costs, as well as volunteers, fosters and adopters. Adopting a shelter dog frees up kennel space for other pets in need. He's incredibly grateful to all the people who have stepped up to help both pets and people affected by the Eaton Fire. It means the world to McManus and the Pasadena Humane team every time there's a happy pet reunion at the shelter. 'It was such a terrible situation and something that we never thought we would have to face on such a scale, so it's a reminder of why we all come to work every day and why we're here for our community,' he says. 'We can't do much about the fire or rebuild people's homes, but we can at least assure people that their animals are in good hands while they're with us, and we're just as excited to see them go home as the people are to get them.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Animal experts sound alarm on unexpected impacts of LA wildfires: 'All just leveled'
Communities in Southern California are still reeling from the massive wildfires that destroyed more than 10,000 homes in the Los Angeles area. As people rebuild their lives, wildlife officials are telling residents to be on the lookout for injured animals that also lost their homes in the fires. As the Santa Monica-based radio station KCRW reported, Pasadena Humane has seen a considerable increase in animals, from birds to bobcats, that need rehabilitation after suffering severe burns. According to KCRW, the animal shelter has taken in at least 75 wild animals left without a habitat after the Eaton Fire in Altadena. While the animals slowly trickled in immediately after the fires, Pasadena Humane has recently seen a massive spike in bobcats, hawks, and other birds coming in with burned paws and talons, often malnourished and dehydrated. Pasadena Humane wildlife director Lauren Hamlett told KCRW that animals with burn injuries often can't hunt for food, making them particularly vulnerable after a wildfire, when food is already scarcer than usual. So far, the shelter has treated a peacock for burn injuries to its feathers and feet, a red-tailed hawk with burned talons and singed feathers, and many bobcats, which are common in the area. "Pretty much anything coming in now is going to be fire-related because it has affected our entire ecosystem, even the areas that weren't actually burned down," Hamlett said. In a Facebook post, Pasadena Humane explained that some of the bobcats brought in had suffered broken pelvises and other injuries from being hit by cars. Since the animals were forced into more heavily trafficked areas by the fires, it left them more susceptible to being struck by vehicles. We've been seeing a growing number of bobcats coming through our Sandra J. Goodspeed Wildlife Center due to the Eaton... Posted by Pasadena Humane on Sunday 2 February 2025 Another bobcat had arrived at the animal shelter with burns on all four paws and appeared emaciated, but the staff said she'd started eating and was being treated with medication. "We are hopeful for a full recovery for this beautiful animal," the post read. As KCRW explained, even animals that weren't directly impacted by the fires may breathe in ash containing harmful pollutants such as asbestos, lead, and heavy metals. The humane society had treated a skunk for an eye infection, likely caused by inhaling toxic chemicals or smoke. Even if animals tried to flee the area, the fires were so extensive that avoiding injury would've been difficult. Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely Somewhat Depends on the time of year Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "A lot of these animals are urban wildlife that take refuge underneath people's houses or behind composts or under sheds or things like that — in the urban environment. And now that's all just leveled," Hamlett explained to KCRW. While the exact causes of the devastating wildfires have not been determined, experts say dry conditions and powerful winds increased the risk of a fire outbreak. Climate scientist Daniel Swain told NBC News that our warming climate provides the perfect fuel for fire weather, especially in Southern California, which is already naturally susceptible to wildfires. According to National Geographic, our overheating planet made the L.A. fires 35% more likely, and if we don't take major steps to cool Earth, wildfires in the area could become 80% more likely by 2100. This would lead to massive climate migrations as well as the destruction of more homes, cause many animals to lose habitat, and disrupt entire ecosystems. Pasadena Humane urges the public to call the Eaton Fire animal rescue hotline to report found or lost pets, livestock, and wildlife in addition to animals left behind in evacuated properties. But if you encounter wildlife that isn't injured, wildlife officials say to not leave out food or water so the animals can migrate to a new habitat quickly. To reduce the likelihood of these massive wildfires occurring in the future and help communities and animals, we can switch to all-electric appliances and vehicles that don't produce planet-warming gases, donate money to climate action causes, and learn more about important climate issues. Even making one small change, multiplied by thousands of people, could lead to a healthier planet where all wildlife can thrive. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
