While I’m writing this, I’m waiting for my new friend Chester the chihuahua to arrive. I’ll be fostering him, thanks to the local Let’s Rescue Dogs organization. Fostering an animal is a way for me to deal with the feelings of powerlessness, futility and sorrow I have while watching my friends lose their homes and my city lose its way in the middle of a natural disaster. Animals are hurting, too—so I wanted to get some guidance from charismatic dog whisperer Cesar Millan , himself a resident of the greater Los Angeles area. Millan sent word from his local ranch about how pets and wildlife can use our help now and during any natural disaster. (And please, if you’d like to help animals, consider supporting the dog care, community education and canine rehabilitation-focused Cesar Millan Foundation now and in the future.
My Dog Was Grieving Big-Time—Here’s What Pet Expert Cesar Millan Told Me to Do About It
1. Can wildfire smoke affect pets? What about other fire aspects like ash or post-firefight chemicals?
“Animals are sensitive, very sensitive to chemicals,” Millan says. “The nose is the most important sense to let them know about the outside world. The smoke and chemicals also affect their eyes, ears and skin.”
2. What do animals do during a wildfire?
“We have two types of animals—indoor and outdoor,” Millan explains. “Outdoor animals have an instinctual behavior and will get themselves to safety if they can. When animals are indoors and are experiencing this type of stress or change, they sometimes panic because there is no room to escape. Dogs feed off of human energies, so if a human is in a panic, a dog will feed off that energy as well.” I’ll agree with this—recently I had a heated disagreement with a family member in front of our cockapoo, and he (the dog not my boyfriend) started hopping animatedly from one lap to another trying to lick our faces.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cesar Millan (@cesarsway)
3. How are your dogs at the ranch reacting to all the smoke and crisis?
“Right now, I am fortunate that the wind has kept part of the land in such a beautiful state. Mother Nature is taking care of us. Still, I am aware and prepared for the worst, but appreciate where I am now,” he says. “My dogs are feeding off my calm energy right now. I am also actively doing my best to help others during this time of crisis and need, while remaining calm. On the other hand, it was coming close at one point and I have seen discomfort in the animals, but I am staying calm and close to them so they can feed off my energy.”
4. Is there a breathing/meditation I can do with my pet to calm us both down?
“Absolutely—I recommend Wim Hof ,” he says. “In 30 mins, you can learn the techniques. The hard work is practicing this method and implementing it in your daily life.”
5. Is fostering a pet worth it?
“Yes! This is an agreement that you have to have with your mind. In this case, LA needs humans who will give time to foster a dog and not keep it. You are helping dogs. Helping dogs is also a good way to get out of the crisis so you can focus on an animal that does not see life like we do,” Millan says. “Animals live in the moment. We humans have to go back and live in the moment after living in a crisis.”…