Watching from afar, it’s hard to comprehend the utter devastation that the 2025 California Wildfires have wrecked upon the landscape. What began on January 7th, took until the end of the month to be contained. And during that time, more than 9,000 homes and 14,000 acres were leveled. Human and animal lives were lost and families have been altered irrevocably. But now that the flames have been extinguished, stories of hope, reunions and unity can keep us motivated. We must all help rebuild the homes and lives of those affected and bring attention to their plight. Because from the ashes of tragedy, we rise.
Tragedy Turned to Triumph
On January 15th, 2025 the Pasadena Humane Society shared a heart wrenching post on their social media. A petite tabby kitten, dubbed A519470, had found herself in the midst of the horrific zone.
This 4-month-old kitten (A519470) was found in a burn area in Altadena by the Pasadena Fire Department. Her fur was singed and covered in ash, and her tiny body was covered in burns. When she was found, the burns on her face were so bad that she couldn’t open her eyes or smell. She was struggling to walk due to her singed paw pads.
Our Animal Control Officer picked up the kitten from the fire department to bring her to our ICU, where we treated her wounds and gave her medications to soothe her pain.
We’re doing all we can to help this sweet kitten, but she’s not out of the woods yet. Your donation today will help provide lifesaving medical supplies and other resources to animals like her who have been affected by the Eaton Fire. You can donate today at give.pasadenahumane.org/fire
What a Transformation!
While recovering at the rescue, little A519470 did more than just heal her wounds. She healed her heart with the overwhelming amount of love bestowed on her from the staff and volunteers. And thankfully it took less than a month after her fragile and damaged little body arrived at the organization to heal. On the morning of Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, the sweet tabby was ready for adoption!
You may remember this brave little 4-month-old kitten (A519470), rescued from a burn area in Altadena by the Pasadena Fire Department. When she was found, the burns on her face were so severe that she couldn’t even open her eyes. The pain she must have felt at such a young age is unimaginable, but despite everything, she is sweet and affectionate. After receiving care in our ICU, she’s made incredible progress and is now ready to find her forever family.
In particular, the Adoption Coordinator Ivy was mysteriously connected to the tiny survivor. And it’s very possible that the universe had a part in these two souls meeting. Because the now fluffy kitten found her furever home that very same day, with the help of Ivy.
Tragically, Ivy’s family home in Altadena was destroyed in the Eaton Fire – and in a stunning coincidence, this little kitten had been rescued just a few houses away from where Ivy’s home once stood. Ivy felt a strong connection with this kitten, knowing their stories were linked by the same tragedy, and was honored to be part of her happy adoption today.
Ready for more heartwarming and possible happy tears if that is possible in this case?
A woman had taken one look at the grateful tabby with the sweet demeanor and bonded instantly. But many followers commented that they were angry at the tiny kittens owners for leaving her behind. However, coming from the rescue world, our personal opinion that a 4 month old, non-microchipped kitten is likely a stray. At that age, felines haven’t necessarily linked humans to danger. And here, thankfully, little IvyCat saw the love from Susan and her caregivers immediately.
Today, we witnessed an incredibly emotional moment as she found her forever home with Susan, who was deeply touched by the kitten’s story of survival during the Eaton Fire. It was truly moving to see them bond so quickly, with the kitten already leaning into her new mom for affection.
While this happy tale is just the beginning of IvyCats new life, there are hundreds of other animals that need help. Please be sure to follow Pasadena Humane to see how you can assist!
All images/videos property of Pasadena Humane Society
