Unified Response: Veterinary Teams Safeguard Animal Health Amid the Park Fire Crisis
As the Park Fire grew to become the fourth-largest wildfire in California's recorded history, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s California Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) quickly mobilized for their inaugural deployment to provide crucial veterinary care for animals caught in the fire’s path. CVET, a disaster preparedness and response program within the One Health Institute, was on the front lines, ensuring the health and well-being of both large and small animals displaced by the fire.
Deployed on Thursday, July 25, CVET responded to the call for assistance by setting up at temporary animal shelters and deploying veterinary trailers that served as clinical spaces. Over the course of their response, CVET’s trained crew of volunteer responders and veterinary staff assessed 25 large animals and treated 15, while also assessing 61 small animals and treating 33. They supported two veterinary field calls, demonstrating their dedication to providing comprehensive care during this crisis.
Nearly 60 volunteers from CVET and the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps (CAVMRC) contributed almost 2,000 professional hours, reflecting the strength of a coordinated effort to protect animal health. This response underscores the importance of an integrated approach that addresses the interconnected health needs of people, animals, and the environment—an approach that proved vital in managing the complex challenges posed by the Park Fire.
In addition to their own efforts, CVET worked in close collaboration with Butte County Animal Services, the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG), California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Butte County Public Health Department served as the lead for the inter-agency response across human, animal, and environmental health streams. This cross-disciplinary teamwork highlights how crucial it is to approach wildfire response with a strategy that prioritizes the health and safety of all affected—humans, animals, and ecosystems alike.
While members of the UC Davis Fire Department and many other firefighting teams battled the flames on the ground, the CVET response was a critical component of the broader effort to mitigate the fire's impact.
CVET was formed last year and expanded the university’s previous regional veterinary emergency response — through the Veterinary Emergency Response Team, or VERT — into a program with statewide reach.