Submitted by the Orcas Animal Shelter.

During the Los Angeles wildfires, many of you reached out asking if we could help with the large-scale animal transfers happening across Washington. While we are a small shelter and not set up for major transport efforts, we knew there had to be a way we could contribute. Sure enough, we were contacted about Luna, a terrified mom dog with eight two-week-old puppies who was struggling in an overcrowded California shelter. She wasn’t eating, and her fear made it difficult for staff to care for her. We knew she needed a quiet place to heal and raise her puppies, so within hours, we had a transport plan in place.

Thanks to an incredible team of volunteers, Luna and her puppies traveled over three days to Anacortes, where they were met by board member Mariann Carrasco and brought to the island. They arrived in Orcas on Feb. 2, just as snow was falling. Given Luna’s fragile state, our director, Kristina Snyder, brought the little family into her home for the first two weeks to help Luna regain her strength and ensure the puppies were thriving. At 4 weeks old, they moved into the shelter, where a dedicated team of volunteers worked tirelessly from morning to night, feeding and caring for them. Raising these pups has truly been a community effort!

On March 10, the puppies turned 8 weeks old, and we are happy to share that all of them have pending adoptions. Many of their adopters have been visiting daily to bond with their new furry family members. Even Luna has found a home!