California Wildfires Spur Horse Rescues

Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News

October 25, 2007

As wildfires continue to scorch San Diego County, California, animal rescue groups are working around the clock to save horses left behind.

Dozens of volunteers with the Tijuana Valley Equestrian Association sprang into action after fires first broke out on Sunday. As of Thursday, 23 fires across southern California had burned more than 460,000 acres (186,155 hectares) and destroyed nearly 1,600 homes.

The group's chair, John Gabaldon, has fielded calls from all over the county and is helping coordinate rescue efforts.

So far volunteers have placed about 300 horses on private ranches in the Imperial Beach area, near the Mexican border, Gabaldon said.

Often the volunteers must pick up horses when the owner isn't home or has already evacuated, he said.

"Some of the horses are marked, so we know where the owners are," he said. "[But] some are unmarked so it's going to be a chore to figure out [ownership]."

Thousands of evacuated horses are likely being housed at private ranches and farms. (See photos of the animal evacuees.)

A Monumental Task

The San Diego Humane Society estimates 15,000 large and small animals are in official evacuation centers countywide.

The semi-rural county's high concentration of horses is challenging during disasters, said Lt. Dan DeSousa of San Diego County Animal Control, the lead agency coordinating rescue efforts.

In these fires, as in past disasters, horse owners without transportation for their animals have been a "big problem," he said.

"What we've been trying to emphasize from [the fire] four years ago is if you have horses, have a trailer," he said. "And make sure these horses know how to load into a trailer."

Yet many of horses rescued in the past few days have not been not trailer-trained, according to Simran Noon, director of public relations for the humane society.

The smoke, fire, and strangers are also making the horses nervous and difficult to load, Noon said.

It's unknown how many horses were left behind or died in the latest fire.

"We're going to lose animals—that's a given," DeSousa said. "But hopefully we can minimize that."

The agency went behind fire lines yesterday to provide food and medical care to animals still at their homes.

A badly burned horse was rescued and is receiving medical care, he said.

The department, along with national and local animal rescue agencies, still needs to visit a few thousand homes to check on horses, dogs, cats, chinchillas, camels, and zebras.

"It's going to be a monumental task," he said.

Better Prepared

So far, the humane society's highly trained Animal Rescue Reserve (ARR) team has evacuated about 500 animals—mostly livestock and horses—that were threatened by the Harris and Witch Creek fires.

Calls are still coming in from worried owners who need help shuttling animals to safety, Noon of the humane society said.

The ARR has undergone training with some of the best animal handlers in the country, she said, including Monty Roberts, the famed horse whisperer.

"Every single aspect of handling the animals is from a humane, positive reinforcement standpoint," Noon said. "When we're loading donkeys and horses we try to entice them with treats and hay versus forcefully chasing or pushing them."

Gabaldon of the Tijuana Valley Equestrian Association believes owners were prepared for the fire—more so than during the disastrous 2003 Cedar Fire.

Gary Garfinkel, office manager of Equine Veterinary Services in Alpine, California, agrees.

"In 2003, many horses were set free and had to outrun the fire," Garfinkel said. "We haven't seen that now."

Safe Haven

The Del Mar Fairgrounds, located 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego, takes in animals during emergencies.

The recent fires have brought 2,500 horses and livestock to the grounds—the maximum holding capacity, said fairgrounds spokesperson Kina Paegert.

During the 2003 fire, people with trailers rounded up horses that had been set free and brought them to the fairgrounds.

"The huge difference this year is the owners came in with their animals," she said.

Hundreds of owners are living in the jockey quarters above the stalls, caring for their animals.

The fairground usually only shelters animals. But by mid-Monday, she said, something unusual happened—a steady flow of human evacuees, often with dogs and cats in tow, started showing up.

In hard-hit San Diego County, officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes.

"We didn't have provisions for the people, but we just let [them] come in and take shelter," Paegert said. About 2,000 people are now living at the fairgrounds.

Donations from local businesses and the community have provided enough food and supplies for at least a week, she said. "We're full for horses and large animals," she said.

"But from a people standpoint—families, families with domestic pets, [or] individuals can come and have a safe haven here."

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