Fires have been raging in California since Nov. 8, and thousands of people have lost their homes and even loved ones to these devastating wildfires. Many families have lost their pets, too. In the case of Laci Ping and her husband, Curtis Mullins, their cat got free from his carrier and ran away as they were evacuating the Camp Fire.
The couple thought they may never see their cat again, but thankfully, their kitty, Mayson, was rescued along with 22 other cats and taken to the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
UC Davis has been posting photos of the rescued pets they’ve treated to Facebook and diligently working to pair these animals back with their owners. And for Mayson and his owners, their efforts were successful!
Ping and Mullins traveled to UC Davis to see Mayson again for the first time since fleeing the wildfire, and the emotional moment when Ping was reunited with her cat was caught on video. UC Davis publication Dateline shared the touching reunion on Twitter:
Good news out of @ucdavisvetmed — Mayson, one of the first cats brought here from the #CampFire — has been reunited with his owners, Laci Ping and Curtis Mullins! He’s staying here for another week while burns on his paws heal. More info: https://t.co/lz1sl4ZOXt pic.twitter.com/M2B1X84qNy
— Dateline UC Davis (@UCDavisDateline) November 16, 2018
You can tell Mayson is happy to be back in the arms of his owner, as he snuggles in close to her chest. Ping, of course, can’t help but get emotional at the sight of her sweet boy.
Other than burns sustained on his paws, Mayson is perfectly fine and will be returning to his family after one week, according to the UC Davis website.
Ping and Mullins couldn’t be more grateful that he was found. “The one good thing in our lives at the moment is him,” Ping told UC Davis.
This isn’t the only match UC Davis has managed to make.
A boy named Isaiah was also reunited with his cat, Robin, the School of Veterinary Medicine announced on Twitter. His family lost everything in the fire, but they do look grateful to be reunited with their sweet kitty, and Robin looks pretty happy to be back in Isaiah’s arms, too:
REUNITED! Robin went home with his family today! His boy, Isaiah, had saved all his money to adopt him this spring. The family lost everything in the #Campfire, but are thankful to have Robin back with them. pic.twitter.com/I9g1fe6aPK
— UC Davis Vet Med (@ucdavisvetmed) November 17, 2018
UC Davis isn’t the only organization working hard to help owners reconnect with their missing pets. San Francisco SPCA and other organizations have been helping lost pets who needed medical attention and need to be reunited with their owners. San Francisco SPCA is also using their Facebook account to post images of pets who were brought in from the Camp Fire area, such as this dog, Beau, who was one of the lucky guys who found his owners:
In fact, social media has been a great place for veterinary hospitals and shelters to advertise pets they’ve cared for and hopefully reunite them with owners once again. Inside Edition points out that one prominent online group, CAMP FIRE Paradise CA Area LOST FOUND ANIMALS, has thousands of members looking for lost pets. Thankfully, just like UC Davis and San Francisco SPCA, this public group has been responsible for some success stories, too.
Here’s to hoping all of these animals find a happy home once again!