This week, I was proud to partner with my colleague Councilmember Felipe Fuentes to author a motion asking that the Animal Services Department and the Fire Department report back on efforts to protect our equine community during fires. This includes equine fire safety efforts undertaken by City Departments, equine fire safety public education and outreach strategies, fire preparedness resources for horse owners and equine disaster preparedness training, including wildfire training, for Department of Animal Services and the Fire Department staff.
Horse ownership has been a tradition in Los Angeles dating back to the City's founding. The Department of Animal Services regulates the care and licensing of equines, and recent estimates suggest that there are between 10,000 and 20,000 horses in the City. In addition, there are numerous equestrian centers, horse owner associations, and miles of trails centered in the San Fernando Valley, including the communities of Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, and Shadow Hills.
Fundamental to horse ownership is safety and care, which especially for Los Angeles and Southern California includes preparation for natural disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and earthquakes. Disaster preparedness for equines should include evacuation routes, emergency feed and supplies, temporary housing, and fire prevention and safety of structures.
Many local horse owner associations and the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control have published equine safety tips and guidelines, which includes wildfire preparedness. It is important, as we enter the "fire season", that the Animal Services Department and the Fire Department report to the Council on the actions which may be needed to educate the public regarding horse safety and wildfire preparedness.
-Mitchell Englander, Councilmember Twelfth District
