Disaster Preparedness

In addition to providing emergency animal rescue and response within the County of Ventura, VCAS often provides mutual aid to neighboring communities during declared disasters. 

Veteran Animal Control Officers, Fernando Serratos and Tony Ochoa, were deployed 460 miles north to El Dorado County to provide mutual aid animal rescue support during the Caldor Fire area which burned 221,775 acres from August 14 – October 21, 2021.

Officers Serratos and Ochoa spent sixteen (16) days driving across hundreds of acres in an effort to care for and rescue animals in need.  Conditions within the evacuation zone were harsh.  Although the fire had passed in the areas they were deployed to, the ground below their feet sometimes crackled where the fire continued to smoldered.  Despite the difficult conditions, Officers Ochoa and Serratos pushed through to rescue and care for hundreds of animals during their relief effort.

Although the physical conditions were sometimes challenging, it was deeply rewarding to reunite so many animals with their families. Officers Ochoa and Serratos gained emergency animal rescue experience during a number of wildfires over the years.