Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/748197
DOGS TO THE RESCUE When Firefighters Feel the Heat, the Dog Squad from the SPCA for Monterey County Helps Soothe Them B Y D I N A E A S T W O O D P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K E L L I U L D A L L hen the helpers needed a little help, the solution came on four paws. The Soberanes Fire devastated more than 130,000 acres of mountainous terrain this summer. Thousands of firefighting heroes from all over the state called Monterey County home for the duration. Morale and comfort were tried and tested. So, with the help of the SPCA for Monterey County, the four-legged troops were brought in. "I felt really good about making an impact with such a simple gesture," says SPCA for Monterey County Executive Director Scott Delucchi. "We could see it in their eyes and in the way they would get on the ground and laugh while a stranger's dog licked them in the face." Captain Joe Amador had been working the fire for more than three weeks. He was exhausted when he met sweet Pit Bull mix Oliver. "In the big picture it made it a little more bearable," he says. The SPCA didn't just supply the support animals: It also took in more than 225-animals for emergency boarding. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 145 P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K E L L I U L D A L L hen the helpers needed a little help, the solution came on four paws. The Soberanes Fire devastated more than 130,000 acres of mountainous terrain this summer. Thousands of firefighting heroes from all over the state called W