INFORMATION FROM PIERCE COLLEGE ON ANIMAL EVACUATIONS

2) We take in animals and have the following requirements:

Horses: please no stallions

Horses must be able to be tethered

Bring water tub, medicines, food

The following is an article from Oct 2003 on our website with more information.

Good luck,

Doreen Clay
Public Information Officer
Pierce College
(818) 710-2510
claydj@piercecollege.edu

Story:

Wildfire drove record numbers of local horse-owners to seek sanctuary for their animals Monday at Pierce College's emergency equine shelter.

Ron Wechsler (now replaced by Bill Lander), long-time director of the Equine Science Program said, "Every time we have a fire they come, but I don't remember it being quite to this magnitude." An informal agreement set up years ago with Animal Control lets Pierce shelter the community's animals in emergency conditions.

Pierce normally houses about 30 "school" and privately boarded horses, plus the assorted donkey, mule and pony. "So far we've taken in 90," said Wechsler at 3:00 p.m. One hundred horses from Stony Point facility in the nearby foothills were on their way.

All care is provided by volunteers. "We request people bring feed and a bucket, and they could make a donation to the Foundation (under the Equine program)," said Wechsler.

Kaye Michelson, Emergency Coordinator of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control, said "It's really nice of you to let us invade you like this - we are incredibly grateful."

Teams of volunteers from the County's Volunteer Equine Response Team and the Animal Rescue and Farm Sanctuary Unit are working 8-to-12-hour shifts to log, feed and water the horses, trying to keep them calm as the heavy smoke surrounded the Equestrian Center. Horses were spaced out and tethered in several open corrals next to the new suite of barns, still under construction and unsafe for occupancy.

Operations were surprisingly smooth in the unusual circumstances. LAPD trailered in animals while television news media teams jockeyed for position. Students, volunteers, college administrators and city agencies all worked together with the equine staff and rescued animals as though it was an every-day event. In addition to horses, a llama and two peacocks were brought to Pierce for protection.

In the wake of the 110,000-plus acre Simi Valley fire, only 5% of which is contained, Michelson implores residents to follow instructions to evacuate when the voluntary order is given, "Please, please do it! And have a plan for evacuation with your horse: have a trailer and equipment ready and a site picked to house you."

The Pierce emergency equine shelter is steadily filling up to the 200 horse limit set by Wechsler. When it's full, people will be directed to the L.A. Equestrian Center in Burbank and Hansen Dam, he said. The hotline number for animal shelter information is (818) 756-9325.

Donations can be made to the Equine Fund at the Foundation for Pierce College, (818) 703-0826.