Equestrian center houses hundreds of animals

The trailers arrived all at once, carrying hundreds of horses fleeing the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles.

Some horses arrived alone, others in trailers full of other animals. Many had their owners, but others arrived alone, brought by their rescuers or animal control. According to the volunteers, a horse carried its owner to Altadena, which would have taken five hours on foot. Pigs, donkeys and miniature horses followed.

In 24 hours, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center was transformed into the modern-day Noah’s Ark. Over the past week, it has housed hundreds of animals from the disaster as part of its official role as one of the city’s largest animal shelters.

The facility, hidden in the shadow of Griffith Park, has taken in more than 200 horses, in addition to the approximately 500 that already live there.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday there was “chaos,” said Jennie Nevin, a spokeswoman for the equestrian center. The facility cataloged all the horses that arrived, making sure they could be reunited. Sheltering the animals came at no cost to the owners, thanks to the support of public donations and the frequent delivery of free hay, feed and other supplies.

Sergio Marcial was one of dozens of people who brought animals here after their own facilities were destroyed or threatened.

A week ago, he and his girlfriend Jenny Bacon raced to help rescue more than 70 animals from the Eaton Dam Stables while battling flames so intense that his mask caught fire and his glasses broke and deformed.

His efforts landed him in the hospital, his lungs and throat burned after inhaling the burning air.

A week later, Marcial, 29, and Bacon, 30, walked Arthur and Playboy (two miniature horses he helped save that night) around their new home. Here they were safe from the fires and seemed calm and friendly despite everything they had endured.

“It still hurts to swallow,” Marcial said, pointing to a mask he must wear to prevent infection. “I would do it all over again, without a doubt.”

Most of the owners of the protected animals have been identified, and several owners spent Tuesday afternoon walking their horses around the stables.

Dozens of volunteers took care of the rest of the animals housed in the center. Some had become local celebrities.

Two donkeys, Morris and Mika, frequently poked their heads out of their stalls to demand attention. They had fled down the mountain with their owner as the Palisades Fire approached and were reunited because he had spray-painted their number on their sides.

“They love it when you sing to them,” said volunteer Lucena Herrera. “We’ve all been adopting them and taking care of them.”

But there are still a handful of animals that have not been claimed. A week after the fires, a miniature horse named Izzy still had not found its owner. The volunteers had collectively adopted her until she could find a new permanent home.

So many volunteers showed up to help the animals that staff had to turn some away, Nevin said. Between 50 and 100 volunteers now raked the stables, fed the animals, fluffed the hay and serenaded Morris and Mika when they became anxious.

Watching owners reunite with their horses was one of the most valuable experiences for volunteers, said London Scott, founder of the local Cali Cowboy Club.

“It’s a really beautiful process,” Ms. Scott said, “to be able to see it firsthand and know that you had a small role in someone having a little peace of mind in a tragic time.”

Those here describe a deep bond with their animals and say the farms that burned are a place of peace in this bustling metropolitan area.

“They are my safe place,” said Catherine Armenta, 42. “It’s like a bond, a connection that I don’t really have with anything else on this planet.”

Many of those here don’t know what will happen next, where they might take their animals after the chaos of the fires burning in the Los Angeles region ends.

“I haven’t even been able to process any of this. There are 40 horses to take care of,” Mrs. Bacon said. “When it’s all said and done, I think we’ll all go have margaritas and have a good cry.”