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It rained cats and dogs Wednesday and flooded C.A.R.L. (Canine Animal Rescue League) due to a clogged channel leading to the Santa Clara River that redirected mud, water and debris to a portion of the industrial area. The shelter, located on Mission Rock Road, also boards cats and dogs to help in their mission of rescuing and re-homing animals. |
When it rains it pours: C.A.R.L.
dog shelter floods, still needs help
January 13, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
When it rains it pours and C.A.R.L. (Canine Adoption & Rescue League), again found itself in emergency mode last week when an El Nino storm event threatened the Mission Rock Road shelter.
\Just over a year ago, in November 2014, C.A.R.L. was faced with another emergency when the nearby Santa Clara Waste Water Co. – Green Compass had a toxic chemical spill and explosions followed by fires that impacted the dog sanctuary.
On Wednesday, January 6, when the second storm in as many days was unleashed at about 10:45 a.m. bringing torrential rain the shelter was right in the path of water, mud and debris.
“What I was told was that the water was coming under the freeway,” though the drain, said Sharon Clark, president of C.A.R.L. “It’s supposed to run straight down to the river,” but the drain on the south side of Highway 126 had not been cleared by the property owner.
“The water made a sharp right turn and went onto Shell Road,” where neighboring properties were protected by block walls but C.A.R.L. and “Our neighbor,” had chain link fencing.
Said Clark “The water came down as a torrent, it was so powerful and there was so much debris it broke open the gate,” and covered the property.
“At one point the water was waist high at the gate…afterwards it was still very high,” but much of the debris was caught by the chain link.
“There was water and mud all over, especially in the dogs’ play yards and in one set of kennels” that necessitated moving more than a dozen dogs. Ventura County Fire responded to the emergency, “Pumped water out, and they also brought a van of people, a hand crew that stacked up sandbags three-feet-high to keep water out of the parking lot.
“The support we got from them,” said Clark, “was fantastic…”
Also fantastic was the crew of volunteers and others that worked Saturday and “Made huge progress…Western Oil Spreading Service donated two operators and heavy equipment,” to remove the mud from the grounds of the facility.
Clark said about 35 volunteers, “Friends, people that just heard about it and wanted to help, all came. We had a crew filling more sandbags and another crew that cleaned two cargo containers,” holding dog food and other supplies that saw water intrusion.
“None of our food got damaged thank goodness…”
People were donating towels, bedding and blankets and doing laundry: “Even a cleaner offered to help…we’ve seen very nice community support!”
Others were walking the dogs — there were about 55 at the facility at the time of the flood — now deprived of their playgrounds but still energetic and needing to let off steam.
“All but the one kennel stayed dry, and we sand bagged around everything. We were extremely fortunate it wasn’t worse,” although the flow of mud and water eroded the area below the fences so badly that large gaps have opened up that could allow dogs to escape.
“We need something to put around there to keep the dogs inside…those 8-inch blocks or monetary donations,” to purchase the blocks that the dogs won’t be interested in chewing on.
The parking lot is paved with permeable material but “It might be damaged…the mud is still pretty thick,” and an assessment has not yet been done.
“Our biggest fear is that it will happen again…even though we would be better prepared,” said Clark, “if we get a deluge of water on the other side of Highway 126 and it comes tearing through we’ll be right back where we were.”
To make a donation or view a wish list of items visit www.carldogs.org
