Mission Viejo Animal Services To Aid Pets Touched by Caldor Fire

MISSION VIEJO, CA — The Mission Viejo Animal Services Center is calling upon community members to help them aid animals affected by the Caldor fire burning up in El Dorado County.

To help both the animals and shelters in that area, the center is asking for donations such as clean towels, unopened pet food and collapsable wire cages. Donations can be dropped off until 5 p.m. Monday at 28095 Hillcrest. Early Tuesday morning, a team from the Animal Services Center will deploy to Northern California to assist with evacuations, as well as search and rescue.

Director of Animal Services Michelle Claud-Clemente said the team will aid El Dorado County authorities in evacuating animals who live in "imminent threat" areas. The team will also help residents and their pets affected by the fire get into shelters that will accommodate them and their animals.

"We're helping and we're also training ourselves in the event of an emergency," Claud-Clemente said.

The team will also go through areas that have already been scorched by the fire in order to locate any injured or deceased animals left behind. This aid doesn't only pertain to pets, but to any kind of wildlife impacted by the Caldor fire.

Claud-Clemente said that she was grateful for the support of the Mission Viejo community as the center prepares to send their team out to El Dorado County.

"We live in a fire area too, and we are all familiar with how devastating it is. To be able to help with that is very special, and we appreciate that," Claud-Clemente said. "We appreciate being able to be ready, trained and to have experience."