<< BACK

PetSmart Charities® Sends Emergency Relief Waggin’® Vehicle to California to Assist Pets Affected by Jesusita Wildfire

Santa Barbara County Animal Services report they are housing at least 300 displaced companion animals, with more expected

(Phoenix) – At approximately noon today, a PetSmart Charities ® Emergency Relief Waggin’® trailer, stocked with at least 16 tons of much-needed pet food and supplies, was deployed from the PetSmart® Distribution Center in Phoenix, Ariz. to the Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Road in Santa Barbara, Calif. to assist pets who have been displaced or injured by the Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara County. “We received a request May 6th for assistance from officials with Santa Barbara County Animal Services and began readying a vehicle for deployment to the scene,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities. Initial reports from Susan Klein-Rothschild, acting animal services operations chief in the emergency operations center, indicate that mandatory evacuations of people and animals have resulted in the shelter receiving more than 150 dogs, 140 cats and at least 50 horses, goats and llamas for emergency shelter and care, with many more expected.

Each PetSmart Charities Emergency Relief Waggin’ vehicle is stocked with emergency pet supplies and field and support equipment valued at $60,000. Supplies include pet food, crates, beds, bowls, litter and litter pans, and other necessary animal-care items, as well as a generator, fans, tents, a battery charger, lights and other supplies to assist the agency who is caring for displaced companion animals.

“The sole purpose of our Emergency Relief Waggin’ program is to ensure that necessary assistance is readily available for animals in need as a result of natural or man-made disasters,” Della Maddalena added. “We want to do our part so these helpless pets receive the care and comfort they need and deserve.”

PetSmart Charities established its Emergency Relief Waggin’ program in 2007 to provide assistance following natural and man-made disasters. Members of the public who would like to support PetSmart Charities’ Emergency Relief Waggin’ program can make a tax-deductible donation in one of two ways:

1. Make a credit card donation via the PetSmart Charities Web site at: www.petsmartcharities.org/donate/emergency-relief.php 
2. Mail a check earmarked for “Emergency Relief” directly to: PetSmart Charities, Attn: Emergency Relief; 19601 N. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, Ariz., 85027.

Funds raised will be used to aid pets affected by this and future natural or man-made disasters.

Learn more at www.petsmartcharities.org/programs/emergency-relief.php

^{About PetSmart Charities, Inc.}

^{PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues, and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities has funded more than $87 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare organizations and, through its in-store adoption program, has helped save the lives of more than 3.5 million pets in the United States. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working to help find a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit www.petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS.}