Volunteer veterinarians respond to Park Fire evacuation shelters, help treat dozens of animals
DAVIS – As multiple wildfires burn across the state, one group of veterinarians stands ready to step in when animals are injured on the fire lines.
UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine's California Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) recently responded to the Park Fire.
"Primarily, we were working at the shelters. They have a large and small animal shelter set up," said William Burke, the associate director of planning for CVET.
CVET is on call for disaster response 24/7. They are dispatched to the fire lines, serving as first responders – and they answered the call when the Park Fire exploded in size, forcing hundreds to evacuate along with their animals.
Veterinarians have been checking hundreds of horses, pigs, dogs, and cats.
Burke says they've treated upwards of 40 animals.
"Primarily burn injuries," Burke said. "A lot of burn treatment, bandage care, bandage removal."
In some cases, working with these animals requires special training.
"Outside of injuries from the incident, dealing with these animals in a shelter location comes with its own challenges," Burke said.
UC Davis says more than 50 volunteers have logged nearly 2,000 hours helping CVET.