Column: Sweet reunion for Carrot Cake and family after Eaton fire separation
Carrot Cake (A519658) was found by first responders in a burned area of Altadena. He was lucky to have survived the fire with just singed fur and burned paws. Fortunately, Carrot Cake was microchipped, and Pasadena Humane staff were able to get in contact with his family quickly. Carrot Cake’s owner lost his house in the fire but was able to be reunited with his beloved cat.
The past three and a half weeks since the Eaton Fire began have been among the most challenging our community has ever faced. This tragedy has touched countless lives, leaving devastation that is difficult to comprehend.
Families have lost homes, cherished belongings, and, heartbreakingly, loved ones. Among these losses are the many pets unable to escape the fire—a painful reminder of how deeply animals are woven into our lives.
Since the first evacuation orders on January 7, Pasadena Humane has taken in over 1,000 animals—both for emergency boarding and as strays found wandering the streets. To date, we have reunited nearly 500 pets with their families at the shelter and 1,000 pets in the field. One story in particular has stayed with me.
Days after the fire, firefighters found a two-year-old gray and white cat in the burn area of Altadena. His paws were burned, his fur singed, and he was suffering from smoke inhalation. An Animal Control Officer rushed him to the shelter for emergency care.
Thankfully, he had a microchip, and we quickly contacted his owner. The cat, named Carrot Cake, was reunited with his family, who had lost their home in the fire and hadn’t seen him in days. The reunion was emotional, with the family’s children joining via FaceTime.
Carrot Cake was transferred to a private veterinary clinic for further care. While he no longer has his Altadena home, he is back with the family who loves him and is now on the road to recovery.
Our veterinary team continues to provide lifesaving care to injured animals, including several severely burned pets in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite the severity of their injuries, these animals are among the fortunate ones who survived and are receiving critical care.
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this tragedy has been watching families—who have already lost so much—come to the shelter in search of their missing pets. While we have had many joyful reunions, many families are still searching. Some of the cats in our ICU have been burned so severely that their owners can no longer recognize them, and without identification, they cannot be sure if the cat they are looking at is their own.
We have been overwhelmed by the support from veterinarians, clinics, and shelters across the state who have joined us to provide care. Their assistance has been invaluable, especially as we have taken in many exotic animals alongside cats and dogs. While the list of those helping is too long to share here, please know we are deeply grateful for every person who has stepped in to help.
This experience has shown that it truly takes a village to help animals in need. I want to extend my deepest thanks to our community for the outpouring of support during this difficult time. Your generosity—whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word about lost pets—has made a profound difference.
For the next month, I will be turning over my column to a few of my amazing team members at Pasadena Humane. Each of our guest writers, starting with our Chief Veterinarian and Animal Care Officer, Dr. Maria Pyrdek, will share their firsthand account of how our organization responded—and continues to respond—to this crisis.
I encourage anyone who knows of any animals lost, found, or believed to still be missing in the fire zone to please call the Eaton Fire Animal Rescue Hotline at 626-577-3752 and visit our shelter and website to search for your missing pet.
Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on January 31, 2024.
