Mary Nichols and Thea Wasche work as Red Cross Pet Liaisons during the 2025 California Wildfires disaster response in Westwood, California.
The American Red Cross understands the important and emotional role that pets play in the lives of their owners. After all, 62% of Americans own a pet and nearly all of them see their pets as a part of their family according to the Pew Research Center.
That's why, as thousands of people evacuated from the devastating California wildfires, and many found their way to Red Cross shelters for a temporary safe place, the Red Cross prioritized a plan for pets in shelters.
The responsibility of managing pets in shelters falls to Red Cross Pet Liaisons. The pet liaison program is an essential part of making shelters welcoming to everyone who needs help. Weeks after the wildfires, hundreds are still staying in Red Cross shelters, and many pets still reside with their owners. This is the case at the Red Cross shelter at the Westwood Recreation Center in Los Angeles, where those pets are under the care of Thea Wasche and Mary Nichols.
Thea comes from Colorado and has been volunteering with the Red Cross for 19 years. Mary, who comes from Tennessee and has been volunteering since Hurricane Michael in 2018, is Thea’s mentee on the operation.
“Pets are part of the families and we’re taking care of the pets just like the family members,” Thea said.
In their roles with the Red Cross, Thea and Mary do all they can to accommodate domesticated pets comfortably. However, every disaster is different, so depending on the situation, pets sometimes need to be housed in a different location with support from animal welfare groups. At the Red Cross shelter in Westwood, pets are being cohabitated with their owners in a separate room of the shelter.
“We didn’t want to break up these people from their pets,” said Thea. “Knowing that they can evacuate to a safe place with their pet has allowed the evacuation process to go smoothly.”
In-the-field flexibility is a key aspect of the position and is the reason volunteers who are training to be pet liaisons work with a mentor on their first operation. Thea and Mary are responsible for traveling from shelter to shelter to create a plan in each one that works for the residents and their pets. These plans take into account local regulations, agreements with individual shelter facilities, space constraints, and health or hygiene concerns.
The pair also works closely with Red Cross shelter managers and those working with external partners to ensure collaboration on the response. Having an understanding of how all the positions work together is an important part of the job, according to Thea.
As the Red Cross furthers its efforts on this front, the pet liaison program will continue to grow and evolve to ensure the organization continues to meet the needs of those we serve.
Weeks after the wildfires, dozens of pets are still finding safety and care within Red Cross shelters.
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