Amador County Rescue Group Saves Hundreds Of Animals Evacuated From Caldor Fire

AMADOR COUNTY (CBS13) — Hundreds of animals are seeking refuge from the Caldor Fire.

One rescue group is taking in horses, goats, alpacas and more and keeping them safe at the Laughton Ranch in Amador County. Some of the animals belong to families that have lost everything. They are grateful to have this sanctuary.

Wendi Spiers and her husband visit their three alpacas every day. It's the one constant as they wait and see if they'll have to evacuate from their home in Fiddletown.

"We've been living in California for pretty much my whole life. So you always think about this but when it actually comes down to it you're like 'Yeah, I was panicking,' " she said.

Panicking her alpacas would have nowhere to go. So Evacuation Team Amador, a rescue group, brought them to Laughton Ranch. A home for animals now homeless due to wildfire.

"Not all of them can have their families come here and visit them because their families are in the middle of a crisis trying to figure out what they're going to do next," said Dr. Raelynn Brister

Dr. Brister is one of the dozens of volunteers that feed and love these animals.

"We have been housing a little over 450 animals. Right now, they range from horses, donkeys, pigs," Dr. Brister said.

Evacuated families in need call Evacuation Team Amador, give a location and volunteers like Dr. Brister often wrangle the animals themselves.

When they get to Laughton Ranch, the animals are stressed from fear and sometimes smoke inhalation. Volunteers get to know them by name and help them feel comfortable.

"You can actually feel the animals' stress level diminish and go down because you can tell by the way they're behaving," another volunteer said.

Evacuated animals are brought here when other locations fill up. It's Noah's ark on land. Safe and secure, so families have one less thing to worry about.

"We're still staying at home but we are packed and ready," Spiers said.

Evacuation Team Amador has rescued thousands of animals from just the Caldor Fire alone. A team of volunteer veterinarians also visits this location and gives the animals the healthcare they need.

If you would like to help or donate, you can go to their website.