Recently in disaster relief Category

Just wanted to let you know the Animal Emergency Referral Center at 3511 Pacific Coast Hwy in south Torrance did take in 2 fire evacuee dogs on Thursday night. No injuries, thank goodness.

We contacted Channel 9, the Torrance PD and Torrance Animal Control to get the word out. AERC is the city and Disaster Team veterinary hospital for the city of Torrance and the South Bay. We are always open - 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Disasters inevitably happen at the worst possible time with minimal resources available and I just want to let you know we are always there to help. 

Let's hear it for all those animal lovers out there who jumped in last night and made sure the area's dogs, cats and horses had safe shelter. (That's Norman, left, who spent the night at Ernie Howlett Park after being evacuated.) 

As soon as word began to spread about the fire on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro Realtor Rebecca Chamblis fired up her computer, using Twitter, Facebook and emails to offer services to area residents. She called the Terranea resort to make sure they'd accept animals as part of their overnight shelter package. She gives special credit to the American Kennel Club, a group she says is always ready to provide food, crates and other help during a natural disaster.

Meanwhile, horse trainer Callie Bell, also a San Pedro resident, hitched up her trailer and began ferrying horses out of the Portguguese Bend neighborhoods over to Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. Owners were picking their horses up today.

Rebecca says someday she'd like to see a formal animal rescue group "on paper." But for now, the loose-knit, self-motivated band of volunteers -- some of whom don't even know each other -- is doing a pretty good job.

I've posted some more photos on the jump that I took this morning of the 15 horses who were taken to the Ernie Howlett park by Callie and others. Owners were picking them up by midday to return home.

Got this email from Redondo Shores Veterinary Center this morning:

Dr. Dirk Yelinek of Redondo Shores Veterinary Center will be open to receive and treat animals affected by the fires at the clinic today at 701 S Pacific Coast Hwy in Redondo Beach.

This is a private, local EOC for animals( Emergency Operations Center). Dr. Yelinek is Deputy Team Commander of the National Veterinary Response Team-4, under the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security and has been in private practice in the south bay for over 20 years. 

For information call: 310-540-5588

Nancy Backes of Rolling Hills and her dog Mozart take a respite from the fire outside the Red Cross shelter set up a Palos Verdes High School. (Sean Hiller/Daily Breeze Staff Photographer)

According to Rebecca Chamblis on Twitter: 

Did you see this story  about the koala that was saved from Australia's wildfire?

From AP:

"Sam" the koala, the most famous furry survivor of Australia's worst-ever wildfires, is healing well thanks to the efforts of caretakers at a rescue shelter -- and she even has a boyfriend.

Sam, who captured hearts around the world after she was photographed drinking from a firefighters water bottle, also has won the affection of "Bob," another koala whose paws were scorched in the weekend's inferno, caretaker Lynn Raymond said today (Thursday). "Bob is her protector -- as soon as she is moved, he's on the move, too. It really looks like he's making sure she's OK," Raymond said from the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, 100 miles east of Melbourne in Victora state, where the deadly fires continue to burn. "They're very good company for each other."

Neither koala is likely to be healthy enough for release for at least four months and are being comforted by caretakers who salve their scorched paws every few hours.

Raymond says the shelter has been indundated  with well-wishers seeking updates on the creatures condition. "It's insane," she said. "(But) everybody has been absolutely wonderful."

In the midst of such horror, stories like this catch on for good reason. They give us hope and remind us that out of destruction can come some unexpected good.

Dogster relays this plea for help needed rescuing dogs impacted by the massive brush fires in Australia. An International Virtual Dog Show is being set up to raise funds.

The SPCA announced this afternoon that it has rescued 56 horses from the wildfires in the San Fernando Valley through the efforts of its Disaster Animal Response Team (DART).

Team members were dispatched to the area to help relocate horses out of harm's way. Members also went door to door checking for other animals in cirsis and providing fresh food and clean water to those not in imminent danger.

"Like everyone else, we're watching the winds and the current fires," said Madeline Bernstein, SPCA Los Angeles president. "As one of Southern California's oldest residents, spcaLA is committed to helping our community until the threat is over."

To donate or assist DART operations, go to www.spcaLA.com.

Update: Here's an amazing photo posted at  LA Unleashed. It shows members of the Los Angeles Animal Services as they helped evacuate 276 horses and 132 small animals from the Sesnon and Marek fires in the north San Fernando Valley.

According to the report, 159 horses were taken to Pierce College, 46 to Hansen Dam, nine to Peter Pitches Honor Farm in Castaic and 62 to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Smaller animals -- chickens, goats, sheep and rabbits -- were taken to the Mission Animal Care Center and the West Valley Animal Care Center.

Photo: Ann Johansson / Getty Images

Here's a nice video about animals that were rescued from Hurricane Ike.

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3100132&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424342,00.html