However, in the United States, particularly during times of disasters, there are often individuals who step up as heroes to assist others in extraordinary ways. Veterinarian Annie Harvilicz exemplifies this heroism by transforming an empty hospital into a refuge for pets left behind during evacuations when their owners couldn’t bring them along.
Despite managing two animal hospitals that were not in proximity to the Palisades, Harvilicz faced a dilemma. It was when her brother requested her to care for his cat and bunny that she had a moment of inspiration:
Contemplating how to provide shelter for Winston and Oreo, Harvilicz realized she had a suitable solution. Just two weeks earlier, she had relocated her Marina del Rey hospital to a new building only a block away, retaining access to the old premises. It was then, while bringing the cat and bunny there, that an idea struck her.
“I looked around and was like, ‘There’s going to be other people that need help, and we have all this empty space. Let’s use it,’” said Harvilicz.
And so she did, and the idea was an immediate hit.
She put out an offer on social media: “I am happy to house any animals that need to be evacuated. If you know anyone who needs to leave and doesn’t have a place for their pets please have them email me,” she wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday morning.
Requests from pet owners began to trickle in, as she expected. But then something unexpected happened: Harvilicz’s inbox began blowing up with hundreds of people volunteering to help her however they could.
“For every person who needed help, there were 50 people offering to help,” she said. “It brings tears to my eyes.”
Watch her tell her story:
Veterinarian Annie Harvilicz speaks about taking in pets amid fire evacuations in the Los Angeles area.
“Most people reaching out to me are reaching out to help,” Harvilicz says. pic.twitter.com/GZM2Cooa7Z
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) January 8, 2025
So far, she’s taken in approximately 40 dogs and cats and Oreo the rabbit. “I had a family bring in 10 dogs, and they had to leave behind their horses,” she said. “To me, this is a no-brainer. I looked around and said, ‘I have a lot of space here. I can help.’”
Even in tragedy, there’s good out there:
— Jane Hay (@Hay0Jim) January 8, 2025
