| It has truly been a week full of anxiety here | | | | or take care of business on his short walks. |
| at home, living through what has come to be | | | | |
| known as San Diego Fire Storm 2007. Though we | | | | Unfortunately, Westin was sold out for |
| were among the fortunate to discover our home | | | | Tuesday night 10/23/07. There were many |
| had been spared, night after night of | | | | people coming from San Diego to get away from |
| following the dramatic news footage has | | | | the choking air. They recommended that we try |
| really made me rethink the special place our | | | | to stay at the Las Palmas Resort which is |
| pets and animals play in our lives. As | | | | another pet-friendly place, so we called and |
| heart-breaking as it was to watch so many | | | | booked a night there. Unfortunately, we found |
| homes lost to the fury of wildfires in | | | | Las Palmas to be roach friendly as well. We |
| Southern California, it was even harder when | | | | found a large cockroach in the middle of the |
| I realized that many animals and pets were | | | | room when we woke up the next morning. |
| left behind during the evacuation process. My | | | | Fortunately we found it before Sugar! It was |
| dog Sugar, a Bichon Frise who turned one year | | | | difficult to walk Sugar around the resort as |
| old earlier this month, was stressing out the | | | | grass at both the front and back of our room |
| moment he smelled smoke in the air. We knew | | | | were dead with major renovation. We |
| we could not stay long. | | | | discovered that they started work at 7am with |
| | | | construction sounds waking us and Sugar up. |
| We live in Carmel Valley in San Diego. | | | | This was disconcerting as they never notified |
| Starting late Sunday afternoon, 10/21/07, I | | | | us that this would be happening when we |
| noticed the smell of smoke coming from | | | | checked in... After 2 nights at Palm Springs, |
| outside. Soon, the sky started getting dark | | | | we were ready to come home. |
| and we realized that it must be a nearby | | | | |
| fire. Sugar did not to want to go outside and | | | | Sugar was really happy to be home yet with |
| began following us very closely, a behavior | | | | hesitation to go outside due to poor air |
| we know fondly as the Sugar Shadow. By Monday | | | | quality. We have since watched more TV |
| morning we watched the news tell us that the | | | | coverage relating to San Diego Fire Storm |
| fire had gotten much worse over the long | | | | 2007 and saw news about animals or lost pets. |
| night and that our area was being evacuated. | | | | Our hearts go to all fellow pet owners and |
| With my asthma being a very serious concern, | | | | pets. We urge people to donate to the San |
| we decided to get out of town where the air | | | | Diego Humane Society's Fire Storm 2007 to |
| quality was not affected by the fires. | | | | help with animal rescues and reuniting pets |
| | | | with their owners. While watching our own |
| We found a pet-friendly room at the Westin | | | | little guy, Sugar, deal with all the smoke, |
| Mission Hills Resort and Spa on 10/22/07 in | | | | moving around and disruption to his life, we |
| Palm Springs area. This was Sugar's first | | | | truly empathized with the struggles of the |
| hotel stay. Despite how lush and beautiful | | | | countless pets and animals and how they must |
| the hotel was, Sugar remained alert and woke | | | | have fared through this ordeal. |
| up with every noise. When housekeeping was | | | | |
| cleaning the room next to us, our normally | | | | We love our Sugar and would love to extend |
| calm little cotton ball wanted to bark. The | | | | that love to all fellow pet lovers!!! |
| poor little guy was not able to eat regularly | | | | |