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Oct 21, 2007 7:53 pm US/Pacific
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Animal Evacuation Order Issued For Topanga Canyon
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Owners of horses and large animals in the Topanga Canyon area were ordered Sunday to evacuate their animals immediately, as officials said animal owners in areas affected by wildfires should evacuate their pets early.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department issued the animal evacuation order for Topanga Canyon Sunday afternoon because of a windblown, 1,200-acre wildfire that began in Malibu Sunday morning and is bearing down on the canyon.
Animals can be taken to the Agoura Hills Animal Shelter, 29525 Agoura Road, or the Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills. Horse owners should enter the college via El Rancho Road, east of DeSoto Avenue, a quarter mile south of Victory Boulevard.
"People need to be prepared well before the fire ever happens," Deputy Director of Los Angeles Animal Control Michelle Roache said. "If there's a voluntary evacuation, they should evacuate. Never wait until it's mandatory."
Authorities from animal control were at the Malibu and Agua Dolce fires and have set up an emergency hotline to help animal owners evacuating their pets. Pet owners can call (818) 991-6384 if they require help with an emergency evacuation.
"Right now our call center is flooded with calls, so it's hard for people to get through, but we've tried to open a second line to relieve that," Roache said. She urged callers to only use the hotline for emergency rescues.
Pet owners who need temporary shelter for small animals like cats and dogs can take them to the Agoura Hills Shelter at 29525Agoura Road in Agoura Hills. Large animals such as horses are being directed to Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills. Horse owners were advised to enter the college via El Rancho Road, east of DeSoto Avenue, a quarter mile south of
Victory Boulevard.
"At the animal shelters we really only have space for four or five horses," Roache said. "They can hold 100 to 300 horses at Pierce College. We have personnel there to help care for the animals as well as several people who are students at Pierce College who help out."
Several horses had already been brought to the school, Roache said. The county has long-standing memorandum of understanding with Pierce College and has used the school as a large animal evacuation location for several years. Pierce operates a School of Veterinary Sciences and has the facilities to house large animals.
Roache said the outbreak of wildfires on a Sunday had left animal control officials scrambling for staff, as country shelters are usually closed on weekends. Staff from shelters in Downey were sent to work in Malibu and Agoura Hills to handle the influx of animals.
Volunteers for the county are also available to assist with large animal evacuations; including 30 to 40 who have already have been called to assist with horse rescues because of the wildfires.
Roache cautioned owners of large animals to plan ahead for emergencies. "They should make plans ahead of time ... network with other horse owners with stables in other areas," Roache said. "We can't always count on Pierce (College) being there or having the space to house the horses."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)