When fires broke out across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, many residents rushed to evacuate in time, leaving behind their homes, possessions and, in some cases, pets. For others who were not at home when the mandatory evacuation warnings came into place, there was no chance to go back and rescue their pets. But one individual, Reggie Sully, with the help of the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD), made it his mission to save as many of these animals as possible as he embarked on two pet rescue missions.
Sully is a longstanding member of the Rotary Club of Beverly Hills and a Project Manager at Peter McCoy Construction in Beverly Hills. When he spoke to a friend, Barrett Carrere, who was distraught after leaving his cat behind, Sully knew there was something he could do to help. Roads were blocked, and residential access barred by the National Guard and police.
“I told him, I know a secret route along a back street into the Mandeville Canyon,” Sully said, “I said, if I can get in there, is there anybody else you know of that needs help?”
One thing led to another, and Sully was introduced to Claire Badener, who gave him a list of all addresses in Mandeville Canyon housing animals in need.
Sully told the Courier that the most stressful moment of his rescue mission was gaining access to one house that he had been told had cats inside, but no key to enter with.
“I know that there are two cats in there, and I’ve got to get in there because no one else is allowed up to see them. So, I get some tools out of my car. I start working on the back door, and not having any luck, I went to get a crowbar. I lifted the door off the track. I’m in. I was really happy,” Sully said.
Sully attended to the cats, giving them fresh food and litter before he was disrupted by two police officers knocking at the back door.
“It didn’t look very good with all my tools lying against the wall where I had entered. I explained what I was doing, and they understood,” said Sully.
“They had to run my ID and escort me out, but they waited for me to leave out some more litter for the cats and the officer offered to carry my tools down to my car, which was nice of them,” he added.
“I then get in the car, and I asked if we can stop by the rest of these houses so I could feed the rest of the animals. They said, ‘No, we have to escort you out to Sunset.’ So, I drove down with them behind me. They did say, ‘Thank you for understanding and cooperating.’”
But Sully could not take “no” for an answer when he knew there were still remaining animals that needed help. For his friends and so many other evacuated residents, the emotional uncertainty of whether their pets were still at home waiting for them, or had escaped, was overwhelming and distressing.
“The next day, I found out my secret route had been secured so I couldn’t enter in the same way,” Sully said. “So, I called the BHPD and explained the circumstances. They said, ‘We’re just going to take you.’”
With the help of Badener and BHPD officer Michael Sholley, Sully managed to save some more cats alongside with some chickens, a gecko, fish and frogs and numerous birds, both domestic and exotic.
“We went into one backyard and the owner had numerous cages of various types of birds. One large cage contained approximately 50 beautiful white doves. We noticed they had run out of water. They were so thirsty and desperate. Once we gave them the water they immediately started drinking. It felt so rewarding that we could help these birds,” Sully said.
According to Sully, this rescue mission would not have been possible without the help of the BHPD and Lisa Karson. “We were just trying to take care of these animals that could have died, and thanks to the Beverly Hills Police Department, we got in and managed to rescue them.”
“[The experience] showed me how much people truly love animals and with great teamwork anything is possible,” Sully said. “When we got down to the National Guard and took a picture with the gecko and chicken, they were so touched. They were petting the gecko with such care. That meant the world to me.”
Anyone who needs help locating pets due to the wildfires should call the Los Angeles FIRE Evacuation Animal Services Hotline at 213-270-8155.
