San Bernardino County Animal Care honored at Inland Empire Heroes Awards

*San Bernardino County Animal Care staff display their 2025 Inland Empire Heroes Award for Animal Welfare Hero, recognizing their lifesaving efforts during the Line and Bridge Fires.*

San Bernardino County Animal Care was named a recipient of the Animal Welfare Hero award at the 2025 Inland Empire Heroes Awards, hosted by the American Red Cross of Southern California. The event recognizes ordinary people and organizations from San Bernardino and Riverside counties who have shown extraordinary courage, compassion and community service.

Animal Care was honored for its life-saving and compassionate response during the 2024 Line and Bridge Fires. As flames threatened homes and communities, Animal Care teams mobilized quickly to protect and shelter animals of all kinds—livestock, companion animals and exotics—often under dangerous and unpredictable conditions.

The department operated three emergency animal shelters co-located with Red Cross evacuation centers, allowing evacuees to stay close to their animals. In total, Animal Care assisted 853 animals, including pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, donkeys, ducks, tortoises, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses, alpacas, peacocks, turtles, turkeys, parakeets and even a gecko. Their work ensured not only the physical safety of these animals but also provided deep emotional comfort to displaced residents during a crisis.

“We are deeply grateful to receive the Animal Welfare Hero Award. It was truly a team effort to manage the evacuation and animal care efforts seamlessly,” said Animal Care Division Chief George Harding IV. “We are here to serve the community, committed to providing the best service, and prepared to meet any challenge that come our way.”

The Inland Empire Heroes Awards ceremony was held March 18 at the Ontario Convention Center. The event, emceed by KTLA Inland Empire reporter Shelby Nelson, brought together over 200 community members and raised more than $100,000 to support Red Cross disaster response.

To learn more about Animal Care’s role in the Line and Bridge Fires, view the American Red Cross video. For more information about the programs, services, and ongoing efforts of San Bernardino County Animal Care, visit animal.sbcounty.gov.

Additional County Update News – April 3, 2025