Wildfire Victims, PETA Plea to LA Mayor Bass: Halt Catastrophic Bulldozing Plan and Allow in Residents and Animal Rescuers

For Immediate Release:
January 24, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

After receiving numerous desperate messages from frantic wildfire victims who have heard that bulldozing is planned, possibly starting this weekend, for the Palisades area of Los Angeles—even though residents’ companion animals are still missing and alive in the vicinity—PETA has rushed an urgent letter to Mayor Karen Bass urging her to pause any plan for bulldozers, grant people access to their properties, and give them more time to find their animals. Several locals have told PETA that their cats were spotted on cameras as recently as last night, and rescuers have confirmed that cats—many of whom are traumatized and skittish—are presumed to be alive and hiding in the rubble of more than 50 different properties.

PETA also received a report that a local veterinarian had teamed up with the Los Angeles Police Department to escort professional trappers into the Palisades, only for Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) to reportedly turn them away. Instead, LAAS is reportedly relying on Animal Control officers who have little to no professional trapping experience and are reportedly only attempting to trap cats during the day, when the animals are in hiding.

“These animals are the family members of people who, in many cases, have lost everything else, and preventing them from reuniting with their loved ones is shameful,” says PETA Director of Outreach Ashley Byrne. “PETA urges Mayor Bass to hit the brakes on the bulldozers, cut the red tape, and prioritize the rescue of residents’ beloved companion animals immediately.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out thatEvery 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 PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.