A veterinarian with a huge heart took in numerous animals to save them from fires ravaging the Los Angeles area.
When Dr. Annie Harvilicz’s brother called her on Tuesday hoping to leave his pet rabbit and cat with her as he fled from the Palisades fire, she agreed and then decided she could do even more to save lives, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
She runs the Animal Wellness Centers in Marina del Rey and Laguna Vista Veterinary Center in Harbor City, so the veterinarian is well-versed in animal welfare, therefore she used social media to inform locals they could bring their pets to the Marina del Rey location for safety.
IHeartDogs.com reported on Friday that she took in 41 animals after numerous people learned she could help them.
Harvilicz has lost a lot of sleep but has kept pushing forward in her mission.
“I haven’t slept at all, and my eyes are hurting from the smoke. But I do it because I love animals and want to take care of them,” she explained.
In a social media post on Thursday, Harvilicz shared a photo of a man holding a rabbit as two children petted the soft creature.
“We are all here to help you. When everything seems lost your family and your community will be there for you. We will help all the animals…all creatures great and small!” she wrote:
On Sunday, Harvilicz informed people she and others had opened a “Free Pet Store” to help people displaced by the fires that have devastated entire communities:
Meanwhile, other Californians have shown great compassion toward people and animals who are victims of the blazes. One Los Angeles man was seen sharing a tender moment with a stray and injured dog when he went to check on a friend’s home in the Altadena area, per Breitbart News.
Rick Miller covered the animal in a blanket and with the help of others got the dog to Pasadena Humane Society for help.
“It’s about caring for each other and like everyone needs help right now. Sorry for crying but it’s really emotional seeing my friends lose their houses and people losing their animals and so [we] try to help each other out,” Miller said.