While the California fires have been burning there has been story after story about people and pets being evacuated and pets being rescued. Now, here’s a report of one man who was reunited with his animal family after they were evacuated from their home.

Mark McDonald of Running Springs was happy enough when he saw that his three-bedroom house was still standing after the Slide Fire raged last week through town and destroyed nearly 200 houses.

But he was jumping for joy on Thursday when he was finally able to bring the pets – all six of them – back home.

Sonny, Gracie, Spencer, Ashley, Ginger and Liz are fine, thanks to the efforts of San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control workers.

In total, the workers rescued more than 300 pets and strays left behind.

Amid the blazing inferno, the workers rescued and escorted to safety McDonald’s three Labradors, two parrots and a bearded dragon – an Australian lizard.

“I don’t care about the house … What I care about is them,” said , 47, about the pets.

Like many mountain residents, he was at work when he learned of the fire.

“I’m amazed that they’d go into the house without power – they don’t know what these dogs and birds are like,” McDonald said.

He said he was grateful that the workers took the time in the middle of the night to go to his house, find as well as secure his pets, and take them to the Devore Animal Shelter.

Read the rest about McDonald and his pets.

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