L.A. pets land in Seattle to make room at animal shelters during fires

Nearly 40 dogs and 18 cats touched down in a private plane on Sunday in Seattle from fire-ravaged Los Angeles. The animals came here to make space at shelters in L.A. that are overcrowded with pets waiting to be reunited with their owners.

The jet from Burbank arrived in Seattle around sunset on Sunday. Almost immediately upon landing, a mobile conveyor belt was attached to one side of the plane.

But it wasn’t luggage that came down the ramp, but dozens of scared, cold-looking cats and dogs in plastic kennels.

These animals are from Los Angeles where animal shelter space has become even more limited due to the historic fires in the city. They were flown here by the nonprofit Wings of Rescue and will be sheltered at Seattle Humane in Bellevue.

“To come here and see all them come off the runway, it means a lot,” said Jacob Beardsley, a Shelter Care Supervisor at Seattle Humane. “We just have a lot of dedicated staff that are really itching to get their hands on these dogs and give them all the care that they need.”

Seattle Humane staff and volunteers hurried the dozens of crates from the conveyor belt to two vans ready to take the animals to the east side.

At Seattle Humane, the pets will be examined to see if they need medical care, said Animal Care Director, Alison Waszmer.

“Making sure they're up to date on all their vaccines, getting to know them, and helping them on their way to find their adoptive homes,” Waszmer said.

Seattle has taken in shelter animals before during disasters in other parts of the county, including from Maui after a large fire last August.

“This is a hot spot for adoption,” said Gene Gable of Wings of Rescue. “Animals don’t stay in shelters long in Seattle.”

Some of these animals have been in L.A. shelters for years, Gable said, waiting to be adopted. Those shelters are expecting an influx from the fires, so Seattle Humane is helping by clearing shelter space to give SoCal owners a chance at reuniting with their pets.

Waszmer said the animals should be ready for adoption starting on Tuesday.