45 Volunteers Train to Save Pets During Wildfires

When evacuation orders hit during a wildfire, pet owners face an impossible choice: risk their safety to save their animals or leave them behind. In Summit County, Colorado, 45 volunteers are making sure families never have to make that choice.

The Summit County Animal Response Team held its biggest training session yet on June 3, preparing volunteers to rescue pets from homes during emergency evacuations. The team has grown so much that this year's turnout of about 60 people, including staff, set a record.

Here's how it works: when evacuation orders go out, pet owners can call animal control to request help. Volunteer teams rush to homes, safely capture frightened or hiding animals, and bring them to the shelter where families can claim them later.

JJ McGill, director of the Summit County Sheriff's Office animal control division, knows every second counts. Her teams train to get in and out of a house in five minutes or less, with one member always watching the fire's progress to keep everyone safe.

The training covers everything from calming scared animals to coaxing reluctant cats into kennels. Volunteers rotate through three stations: answering rescue calls, preparing evacuation teams with supplies, and practicing actual field rescues with shelter animals.

This year's training included 16 mock rescue scenarios to test the entire system. Volunteers called in as panicked pet owners, dispatchers coordinated responses, and field teams raced to retrieve animals and return them safely.

The Ripple Effect

The team proved its worth during the Buffalo Mountain Fire in 2018, when 14 families called for help. Every single pet made it back to their owners. During the Peak 2 Fire in 2017 and the Ptarmigan Fire in 2021, the team stayed on standby, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

Without volunteers, McGill's small animal control staff couldn't run emergency rescues alone. The community stepped up because they understand what pets mean to families facing disaster.

Anyone interested in joining can call the shelter at 970-668-3230 to connect with a volunteer coordinator. While the next big training isn't until 2027, smaller sessions could happen if enough people show interest.

McGill's advice for pet owners? Prepare now. Have a plan, know your evacuation routes, and keep pet carriers accessible.

When disaster strikes, 45 trained volunteers stand ready to make sure no family member gets left behind.