Disaster Preparedness

Disaster Preparation/Response Animal Information for Douglas County, OR

This page will serve as a location for pet owners to find up to date information regarding wildfire or other disasters in progress as they relate to animals in Douglas County. Saving Grace is currently finalizing plans for disaster response and will be posting more information shortly.

  • Make sure all your pets have a collar and I.D. tag – Have a go-bag packed and ready with all your pet’s essentials (food, bowls, box + litter, harness, leash, baggies, etc.)
  • Familiarize yourself with your nearest evacuation center. Douglas County’s emergency evacuation location is the Fairgrounds. Saving Grace provides temporary boarding as needed for pets who are not able to stay with owners.
  • Make sure you have your pet’s microchip number entered into your phone so you have it handy!
  • Practice crate training with your dog so that they are calm in a crate if they need to be temporarily housed there.
A photo of a person setting a cat carrier with an orange and white tabby cat into the back of a car

Below are important links to prepare for a disaster.

Don’t wait. Gather your supplies and your pet’s supplies NOW so you are ready to go at a moment’s notice!

Remember that our area can be a high fire risk.

It’s never too early to prepare as best we can for the fires we know will come in the future, whether it’s this year or in years to come, we will be impacted by fire again.

In 2020, the skies around the shelter lit up in an apocalyptic orange and the Archie Creek Fire changed our community forever.

Our shelter became a temporary boarding location for pets belonging to people who had been evacuated and later became a medical triage site for cats who had become trapped in fires throughout southern Oregon. It was a very difficult time for all of us, but the support we received from our community is still etched in the minds of us all.

A photo of the Saving Grace Animal Shelter building during the Archie Creek Fire of 2021 with a dark orange sky in the background