A fire in Spokane, Washington, sent Utah volunteers on a 38-hour, 2,400-mile trek that brought more than 50 displaced cats and dogs to safety. The rescue effort reached far beyond the state.
Here's what to know
The Aug. 6-7 effort was carried out by St. George nonprofit Providing Animals With Support, or PAWS, after a fire caused by arson triggered a broad animal response in the Spokane area.
As St. George News reported, the mission involved both transporting animals and providing medical support. Volunteers traveled through multiple states to retrieve the animals, then brought them to St. George so care and recovery could continue there.
The animals came from the Spokane-based rescue facility SCRAPS, which was working to relocate pets displaced by the fire. Photos from the mission showed rows of transport crates, puppies and kittens waiting to travel, and a smoky red sun hanging over Spokane Valley.
More background
Animal rescues during fires can be easy to overlook compared to the sheer damage that can wreck homes and infrastructure, but they are often a key part of a community's recovery. Families can be separated from their pets, shelters can run out of space, and already vulnerable animals may need urgent care after smoke exposure, stress, or sudden displacement.
Partnerships like the one between PAWS and SCRAPS can also give local shelters much-needed breathing room. When animals are transferred out safely, space, staff time, and medical resources can be redirected to new emergency cases still arriving in the disaster zone.
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This was not a short transfer between nearby partners, but a multistate operation that required time, fuel, coordination, and trained volunteers. The effort helped move animals out of an overwhelmed system and into a place where follow-up care could continue.
The PAWS team included Lulu Hart, the nonprofit's board president and rescue manager; Nick Romero, operations manager; and Sarah Christian, a dog room volunteer. Their work reflects the kind of community-based rescue network that can become indispensable when emergencies strike.
What's being done?
The rescue did not end when the animals arrived in Utah. PAWS is continuing medical care and recovery work in St. George, helping stabilize pets that were uprooted by the fire.
PAWS depends on community donations to cover food, medical care, and other essential resources to help rescued animals make great recoveries. Donations for the Spokane animals can be made through StGeorgePaws.org/donate or on Venmo at @StGeorgePaws, according to St. George News.
For people looking to support this kind of work more broadly, one practical step is to learn more about donating money to climate causes, especially efforts tied to disaster resilience, animal welfare, and community recovery.
The Spokane rescue mission shows how local nonprofits can have an outsized impact when they are prepared to move quickly. In this case, that meant turning a daunting 2,400-mile trip into a lifeline for dozens of cats and dogs that suddenly needed one.
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