PÁJARO – As the community of Pájaro reeled in disaster over the weekend, as flooding from the massive breach of the Pájaro River embankment forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, the SPCA Monterey County has turned its attention to some family members left behind in the emergency.
“For many people, when they had to evacuate, they weren’t able to take their pets with them,” said Beth Brookhouser, vice president of marketing and communications for the Monterey County SPCA. “We started getting calls pretty soon after the floods started.”
After the Pájaro River levee failed around midnight on Friday, Brookhouser said the SPCA Disaster Response Team was on the scene Saturday, along with the California National Guard and others. first responders performing rescues. Using deep-sea rescue vehicles deployed to assist stranded residents, the SPCA was able to rescue pets also trapped in the water.
Since then, the SPCA has visited the Pájaro area every day, responding to requests from displaced residents worried about their pets still housed in the flooded town. As of Thursday morning, the SPCA was home to 212 animals from the small community, including cats, dogs, chickens, parakeets, parrots, a rabbit and an iguana.
“They are safe and doing very well with us,” Brookhouser said, adding that the organization’s disaster response “continues to rescue any pets left behind.”
Brookhouser said most pet rescues have been spurred by owners calling the SPCA. For evacuees who do not have access to a phone, Brookhouser said the SPCA Disaster Response Team is also present in the community and at local emergency shelters in case a landlord wants ask for help in person. The SPCA disaster response team is bilingual.
As multi-day evacuation orders for the community of Pájaro extended through Thursday, Brookhouser, the SPCA, has already begun reuniting some owners with their rescued pets.
“A lot of people take refuge with their pets,” Brookhouser said.
In addition to rescues, the SPCA provides free food and pet supplies to all local emergency shelters, as well as to anyone evacuating with their pet elsewhere.
Over the past few days, Brookhouser said new calls to Pájaro have come from worried homeowners who don’t expect to face an evacuation for as long as they have.
“We’re still hearing from people who thought they wouldn’t have to be evacuated for too long and left food behind, but now they’re starting to worry about their pets,” Brookhouser said.
An evacuation warning for the community of Pájaro originally went into effect on Thursday, March 9, and became an order a day later. Since the evacuation, around 1,700 residents have been prevented from returning to their homes, despite the receding flood waters. Dozens of people gathered on the Main Street bridge over the river between Watsonville and Pájaro on Wednesday and complained about ongoing evacuation orders, The Mercury News reported.
Monterey County officials were scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss: ‘Public safety, re-entry procedures, (and) disaster relief support,’ county spokeswoman Maia Carroll said in a post. to the media. Round-the-clock crews closed the 400-foot Pajaro River levee breach on Tuesday evening, completing the first set of planned repairs. Work will continue over the next week or two to raise the emergency repair of the breach to the full height of the levee.
According to county officials, the current repair of the levee is holding back water flows from the Pájaro River, which have, for the most part, decreased since Saturday morning. Meanwhile, a National Weather Service flood warning for the levee failure that was due to expire at noon Thursday has been extended until noon Friday.
Amid the uncertainty, Brookhouser assured that Pájaro’s pets are and will continue to be safe with the SPCA.
“Pets are part of the family,” she said. “We are so grateful that Monterey County recognizes this. SPCA Monterey County has a seat with the Office of Emergency Services in a situation like this. They understand that pets are part of the family. … We will always be there when disaster strikes in our community.
To maintain services, Brookhouser said the SPCA is seeking donations, especially pet food. For more information, visit www.SPCAmc.org/donate.
