Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Rescue topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mission Viejo Animal Services details two‑week Palisades Fire mutual‑aid deployment, rescues and new disaster plan
Summary
Mission Viejo Animal Services told the city council its officers spent two weeks assisting at the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, conducting animal search‑and‑rescue operations, evacuating animals (including 29 koi), caring for injured wildlife and revising a multi‑city disaster plan.
Mission Viejo Animal Services officials told the City Council they deployed officers to assist with the rapid‑moving Palisades Fire in Los Angeles and conducted extensive animal search‑and‑rescue work.
"Our officers did amazing work up there," Lieutenant Kyle Werner said, describing a two‑week deployment in which teams handled hundreds of calls, performed search‑and‑rescue and reunited pets with owners. Werner said crews evacuated animals left behind in damaged properties, cared for animals that could not be moved and assisted injured wildlife.
Director Brynn Laevison said the department responded to a mutual‑aid request and worked closely with local and national animal welfare groups. "We were also able to establish some very important, working relationships with some national animal groups," Laevison said, naming the ASPCA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the American Humane Society as partners the department expects will aid future responses.
Officials highlighted several specific rescues: officers evacuated 29 koi fish with guidance from koi biologists and temporarily sheltered the fish at DreamWorks Studio in Los Angeles; a dog named Penelope was located and reunited with her owner about 23 days after the incident; and officers rescued a cat the speaker identified as "Cheetah." Officer Julie Fortin and other staff also assisted in caring for injured wildlife such as a bobcat and coyote displaced by the fires.
Laevison said the department recently completed a comprehensive rework of its disaster plan for five cities and is prepared to evacuate the shelter, set up a temporary rescue shelter and assist with evacuations in homes when necessary. She introduced the team members who deployed, including Kyle Werner, Eric Mansour, Officer Lim, Officer Henriques, animal care technician Carly Hardiman, supervisor Courtney Dustin, Officer Julie Fortin, Sergeant Stewart and dispatcher Taryn Hayes.
The presentation closed with council appreciation for the team's work and a note that the department will continue building partnerships and refining incident dispatch support.
The council received the report; no formal action was taken during the presentation.
