Butte County Search-and-Rescue Team Nabs PETA Award for Saving Dog Family From ‘Park’ Fire

For Immediate Release:
August 2, 2024

Contact:
Reed Bolonyo 202-483-7382

A Compassionate Action Award is on its way from PETA to Trevor Skaggs and Conner Smith of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for their daring rescue of a mother dog and her four puppies, who had been abandoned by their owners amid the Park fire.

The dogs—along with the puppies’ father—were left in a broken-down vehicle with the windows rolled down when their owners evacuated. On Saturday, three days after the animals were abandoned, Skaggs and Smith flew by helicopter to a safe zone near their location and Skaggs—a vegan ultramarathoner—ran 1.5 miles to the vehicle. Once there, he found the father dead but the mother and puppies alive. He sang to the dogs to earn their trust and persuaded them to follow him back to the helicopter. Smith flew everyone to safety, and the dogs were later transferred to the North Valley Animal Disaster Group for care.

“These dogs, who almost certainly would have perished in the Park fire, are alive today, thanks to the brave and heroic actions of Trevor Skaggs and Conner Smith,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA encourages everyone to follow their example by acting quickly when they see an animal in danger and never abandoning their animal companions in an emergency.”

Skaggs and his wife, Christina, are strong proponents of adoption and the founders of Shelterly, a nonprofit disaster response operating system that tracks and cares for animals through emergencies. Skaggs and Smith will receive a framed certificate and delicious vegan chocolates from PETA.

PETA points out that everyone should have their animal companions spayed or neutered and never leave them behind during natural disasters. The organization offers tips on its website to help animal guardians prepare for such situations.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.