Firefighters have been diligently battling the blaze known as the Alder Springs Fire, which has wiped out more than 3,400 acres of land since it began. Even though it’s been burning for days, the fire still remains at 0% contained as it tears through central Oregon.
As such, officials have issued evacuations for much of the region, prompting many to flee with just the clothes on their back and their beloved pets in their cars. But, what happens to the four-legged friends that cannot make it out, or else can’t find safe haven in a shelter? According to the Pet Evacuation Team, they end up in the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond, where rescuers are working to keep them safe.
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As of June 18, 2025, officials said that they were tending to the needs of 175 animals. “We have horses, goats, dogs, cats and a rabbit,” a representative from PET confirmed to local news station KTVZ News.
But, don’t despair over the news that so many animals have been displaced during this trying time. According to PET, the community has showed up in a massive way to help these animals.
“At this time, we do not need any more dog or cat food,” the PET shared before adding that volunteers were working four-hour shifts to help keep things running, and a generous donor member had brough grass hay in. “This community is awesome,” they continued. “We have received so many donations! We’re all set for now.”
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PET is working diligently to keep the animals impacted by the Alder Springs fire safe, both physically and emotionally. As such, they’ve created a system that allows pet parents to come visit their fur babies at the shelter so that they can be together as much as possible.
We can’t even imagine how stressful it must be to have to flee your home, not knowing whether it will be there when you return, but at least it sounds like PET is taking one thing off of people’s plates, and ensuring that their beloved pets stay safe.