Eaton Fire Survivor Sylvia Goes Home

Sylvia was discovered in Altadena a couple weeks after the Eaton Fire began, her fur covered in ash and burns on all four of her paws. Our veterinary team quickly treated her wounds with burn gel and manuka honey, and gave her pain medication to keep her comfortable.

It turned out that Sylvia was a community cat whose caretaker, Gina, had tragically lost her home in the fire. Like many others, Gina had little time to evacuate before the flames swept through her neighborhood. Sadly, the high winds that caused the fire to spread rapidly through Altadena made it especially difficult for caretakers to find and evacuate their community cats in time.

Thankfully, Sylvia and Gina were soon reunited – and in spite of her injuries, Sylvia perked up at the sight of her caretaker. Since Gina was still looking for a permanent place to live, she was unable to take her cat with her at that time. But as with all our emergency boarding animals, we were dedicated to caring for Sylvia as long as needed.

In the weeks that followed, our staff continued to treat Sylvia’s wounds, changing her bandages regularly and monitoring her healing. And eventually, the day arrived when Sylvia was able to leave Pasadena Humane and join Gina in their new home.

Our hearts still break for those who lost everything in the fires. We are deeply moved by the emotional reunions still unfolding for survivors of the Eaton Fire, months later.