Displaced Cats And Dogs From Airport Fire Find New Home In NorCal

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued more than 50 animals from wildfire-ravaged Southern California Tuesday, the nonprofit announced. They animals will soon be ready for adoption in the Bay Area.

The cats and dogs were rescued from the Airport Fire, which has been burning in Orange and Riverside counties for more than a week.

According to the shelter, the animals were moved from Orange County shelters up to the Bay on Tuesday.

SF SPCA Chief of Rescue and Welfare Anne Moellering told ABC 7 that the shelter agreed to take the animals after it became clear that Orange County shelters were overwhelmed with rescues from the fires.

"Right now, they have 837 animals, so they have over 300 more than they normally have," Moellering said. "The local shelter needs to be empty. So we empty the local shelter and take those animals to adopt them out so that the fire victims have somewhere to go."

According to Moellering, some of the animals in the Orange County shelters would have been considered for euthanasia if they had not been moved.

The new animals will be ready for adoption or foster care within a week, SF SPCA staff said.