As horse’s hoofbeats could be heard shuttling in and out of the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, clouds of smoke could be seen on the horizon from the Eaton fire – one of the several major blazes burning in Los Angeles County.
The arena partnered with the city to open its doors and offer free boarding to horses and large livestock owners in areas impacted by the fires.
Animal shelters and centers across Southern California have been providing their resources and space to help evacuees care for their beloved pets and livestock during the fires.
People went to the Pico Rivera Sports Arena to find shelter for their horses and other pets on Wednesday, Jan. 8, said Fernando Lopez, owner of La Noria Entertainment and general manager of the arena. On Thursday afternoon, about five of the 15 horses that had been dropped off the day before were left, many owners had come to pick up their horses, but others were still calling to see if the facility had space, Lopez said.
“It was super important to offer this because we’re animal lovers,” Lopez said in an interview on Thursday. “My family, we felt helpless, so we decided to offer our space. There’s water, hay, and capacity.”
The facility, located at 11003 Sports Arena Drive, has several stables to accommodate about 50 horses, but if more space was needed Lopez said the area could hold up to 100 horses. The general manager said that they housed horses that evacuated from the Eaton fire, as well as horses from Sylmar.
“The horses were nervous, you could tell,” Lopez said. “Every species was nervous, even the chickens.”
The Pico Rivera Sports Arena plans to remain open throughout the weekend to help any owner who needs a place for their horses or livestock to stay. They are open 24 hours to help serve anyone in need, Lopez said.
Facilities such as this arena are playing a pivotal role in ensuring that no family has to make the heartbreaking choice between their safety and the well-being of their animals, Pico Rivera officials said.
Lopez and owners of the Sports Arena aimed to alleviate this burden and offer comfort to those facing these challenges.
“As wildfires continue to impact communities across Southern California, our thoughts are with the residents, families, and animals affected by this devastating crisis,” Pico Rivera Mayor John Garcia said in a statement. “I am proud to announce that the Pico Rivera Sports Arena has been designated as an emergency shelter for horses and large livestock displaced by the fires. This critical resource underscores our city’s commitment to supporting our neighbors in their time of need.”
Other facilities that are helping provide shelter for large animals during the fires include the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive, in Burbank; and the Pierce College Equestrian Center, 6201 Winnetka Ave., in Woodland Hills.
The Pasadena Humane Society has been providing shelter and care for pets affected by the Eaton fire. The shelter has taken more than 300 animals due to evacuations and has staff and volunteers working nonstop to help with their care, according to a newsletter.
On Wednesday, the shelter started seeing many animals come in with burns and injuries. The animals were treated in their ICU, and were provided with pain medications, wound care, fluid and oxygen as needed.
The Pasadena Humane Society have also been working with shelters across the state who have offered to take in the animals that were already in their care so that they could focus on providing resources to the displaced animals.
The shelter is helping provide resources such as food and leashes for displaced families at the Pasadena Civic Center, and also has pet food available at the shelter for those who need it, officials said.
One of the shelters that has been helping the Pasadena Humane Society is spcaLA, which has filled its Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles with pets of Eaton fire evacuees.
About 50 dogs, cats and other pets are currently still at the shelter, said Ana Bustilloz, spokesperson for spcaLA.
“We consolidated all of our shelter pets available for adoption at our South Bay and Long Beach locations and so that freed up our LA shelter to take evacuee pets, most of those at the time were referred from Pasadena Humane from the Eaton fire but at this point any evacuee that needs pet housing assistance,” she said. “They can call us and we’ll try to accommodate them. We do have limited space and call ahead of time.”
The organization is providing shelter space, supplies, and trained staff to accommodate the overflow of animals, and spcaLA says they are ready to accommodate additional pets from the humane society at other facilities as well.
Those fleeing area fires can call 323-730-5300 for pet housing assistance from spcaLA, calling ahead helps to ensure space is available.
“We’re happy to do it, we’ve got people from different locations in LA helping to care for the pets and making sure that they’re being fed and taken care of the best we can,” Bustilloz said, “and we’re trying to do whatever we can do.”
Another location where evacuees can take their pets is the County of Los Angeles Small Animal Shelter, 29525 Agoura Rd., in Agoura Hills.
In the South Bay area, the Bixby Animal Hospital and Urgent Care, 23811 Hawthorne Blvd., in Torrance is also offering evacuees help with their pets.
The veterinarian team is offering a space to board animals affected by the fire and also treat any injuries that pets have sustained, such as burns. Those in need of assistance can call 310-904-6335.
“We’re L.A. natives and this is our community,” said Ryan Abrishami, associate veterinarian at Bixby Animal Hospital and Urgent Care. “As veterinarians, we want to do our part as much as we can and we know that there are a lot of people affected by these fires and one way we can help them out is by helping their pets, and any stray animals in the area that can’t help themselves.”