The catastrophic 2025 Pacific Palisades and Eaton wildfires swept via Los Angeles County, California, leaving a path of devastation of their wake. iHeartDogs co-founder Justin Palmer and his small staff of native workers are headquartered simply 45 minutes north of L.A., shut sufficient to see the smoke on the horizon. Nonetheless, they have been decided to assist in any means they might.
“Being so near it, we knew fairly rapidly that this was going to be a national-level emergency,” Palmer mentioned.
Stepping Up When Catastrophe Strikes
Palmer is not any stranger to catastrophe reduction efforts. iHeartDogs companions with the worldwide non-profit group Larger Good Charities on all the things from medical fundraisers to boots-on-the-ground help throughout hurricanes, tornadoes, and catastrophic flooding. They’ve additionally teamed up throughout earlier Southern California wildfires in 2018 and 2019.
The Palisades and Eaton fires burned over 97,000 acres and destroyed or broken greater than 18,000 buildings, together with numerous properties and companies. With whole financial damages surpassing $250 billion, they’re among the many costliest disasters in U.S. historical past.
However essentially the most devastating losses can’t be counted in acres or {dollars}. At the very least 29 individuals misplaced their lives, and greater than 200,000 residents have been compelled to evacuate their properties. Animal statistics aren’t accessible, however many pets have been reported misplaced or killed, and space shelters are nonetheless working far past capability to assist the survivors.
With total households—particularly the furry members—in danger, Palmer reached out to Larger Good to see how iHeartDogs might assist. Collectively, the 2 organizations deliberate an evacuation flight for January 17, which delivered 50 canines and cats from L.A.-area shelters to security in Oregon. Not solely did the flight give long-term shelter residents a greater likelihood at adoption, but it surely additionally freed up valuable kennel area for misplaced, displaced, and injured pets nonetheless in want of rescue.
“In case you’ve misplaced your private home or needed to evacuate, you typically can’t carry your pet,” Palmer mentioned. “Many ended up in shelters, not deserted, however needing momentary care.”
Larger Good was additionally trying to find an area to gather and distribute donations for impacted individuals and pets. Palmer gladly volunteered iHeartDogs’ Anaheim warehouse.
“These fires are going to be one thing that impacts the neighborhood for years, and that is one thing we’re uniquely in a position to do as a result of we’re so near the hearth,” Palmer mentioned.
Heroes with Huge Hearts: iHeartDogs’ Superb Clients
The iHeartDogs staff labored with Larger Good to compile an Amazon wishlist of important gadgets survivors and their pets would want within the coming weeks. As soon as the listing was shared with iHeartDogs’ 5 million+ followers, donations started to pour in. As of the writing of this text, iHeartDogs readers have gifted greater than 75,000 Amazon merchandise to these in want.
Loyal prospects additionally contributed financially to Larger Good Charities’ fire-related fundraisers, finally donating greater than $140,000 to the reduction efforts.
Palmer and firm continued supporting displaced pets and strays affected by the catastrophe as soon as the fires have been contained, with a St. Patrick’s Day rescue flight. With near-monthly planes taking off carrying deserving pets from high-risk areas to security, iHeartDogs has helped save almost 2,000 pets (1,402 canines and 501 cats) since Operation Second Likelihood first started!
A Firm On A Mission
iHeartDogs was based on one easy perception: Each Canine Issues. However surprisingly sufficient, Palmer wasn’t at all times a canine individual. It took a particular canine lover (his spouse) and a rescued Husky named Splash to win him over and encourage him to start out the corporate. In simply over a decade, Palmer and his staff of like-minded pet lovers have helped numerous canines, cats, and folks with applications akin to Pets & Vets, Operation Second Likelihood Rescue Flights, and the Items Program, which supplies meals for shelter pets.
Right here’s a have a look at the unimaginable charitable influence iHeartDogs has had on its neighborhood and past:
Whether or not it’s serving to out throughout a pure catastrophe or donating a portion of each iHeartDogs and iHeartCats buy to individuals and pets in want, giving again is clearly on this firm’s DNA.
Since its inception, iHeartDogs has donated greater than 51 million meals, 281,000 toys, and 55,000 blankets to shelter canines awaiting their perpetually properties. They’ve additionally funded $1.8 million to supply service canines to army veterans, $66,000 for home abuse survivors and their pets, and greater than 406,000 air miles to fly canines and cats in high-risk shelters to security.
That’s fairly an influence! However they couldn’t do it with out you: our loyal prospects, beneficiant donors, and devoted Hero VIP Membership Members. Thanks for serving to iHeartDogs obtain such large charitable success.
