California: LAPD Officer Seen Carrying Cat Out of Smoky Scene During California Wildfire Evacuation

CALIFORNIA -- This adorable cat may not have been stuck in a tree, but the vulnerable feline was the subject of a dramatic rescue during the California wildfires was no exception.

An unidentified Los Angeles police officer could be seen in a poignant photo carrying a cat to safety as he helped with evacuations during the Skirball and Creek Fires.

The LAPD later shared the image on their Twitter and wrote: “For some it might just be a cat. But to others, it’s a friend, a loved one, a companion. The #LAPD has a motto, ‘To protect and to serve,’ and our officers have been displaying that in many ways during the #CreekFire & #SkirballFire”

Animal owners affected by the fires have been publicly thanking rescuers for saving their animals, including Virginia Padilla, a ranch owner in Tujunga, whose family was evacuated Tuesday morning before they had a chance to see their horses to safety.

The Los Angeles Animal Control was able to save 15 of their horses, including 7-year-old Ruben, which suffered burns to more than 65 percent of his body.

“I’m very fortunate that he is alive because so many people lost their horses,” his owner Padilla told KCBS.

The rest of her 60 horses were among the hundreds of other large animals, including donkeys, that reportedly perished in the fire.

"It's awful," she said. "There's no words."

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@LAPDHQ posted on Twitter Dec 6, 2017 ⭑

For some it might just be a cat. But to others it’s a friend, a loved one, a companion. 

The #LAPD has a motto, “To Protect and to Serve”, and our officers have been displaying that in many ways during the #CreekFire & #SkirballFire

(CBS8 - Dec 8, 2017)