Countywide : Animal Evacuation Plan to Be Revived

Warnings of high fire danger this summer and possible heavy rainfall this winter have prompted the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department to plan for emergency evacuations of horses and other livestock.

Department Director Kathy Jenks said she has assigned two animal control officers to renew the countywide Equine Emergency Volunteer Evacuation and Rescue Team, possibly forming two teams to serve western and eastern Ventura County.

The original rescue group of 150 county residents with equestrian skills or horse trailer rigs was formed after forest fires virtually surrounded Ojai in 1985, scorching 119,000 acres of Los Padres National Forest above the city.

“We put it together anticipating a flood that never happened,” Jenks said. “But now, in the news, they’re predicting double the amount of normal rainfall this winter.”

Some meteorologists have warned that the volcanic eruptions in the Philippines last month could spur heavy rainfall this winter. Whether or not flooding occurs, Jenks said her department is updating its list of animal evacuation volunteers and encouraging residents to sign up for future rescue training sessions.

She said the Ojai Valley and Thousand Oaks areas have more horses than other communities in the county, but there is livestock throughout the county. “We focus primarily on horses, but we’re not going to leave a goat behind.”

The volunteers, in cooperation with the Ojai-based Humane Society of Ventura County, arrange to use private stables as evacuation centers. Jenks said the Ventura County Fairgrounds is an ideal center when it is available.

Jenks said pet owners should train their animals to be accustomed to halters, trucks and trailers.

“The biggest problem we ran into during the Ojai fire was there were so many horses that were not halter-broken or trailer-broken,” she said. “If they’re going to have horses, they need to take responsibility for their safety in a fire, flood, earthquake or health emergency.”

Volunteers interested in joining a Ventura County rescue team may call animal control officers Roger Brooks or Debbie McNeese in Camarillo at 388-4341.