She’s a rare breed of hero.
A brave Los Angeles veterinarian has taken in dozens of animals as their owners flee the raging Palisades Fire — sacrificing her own health and safety to care for the critters, she revealed Wednesday.
Annie Harvilicz, 47, opened her home and an empty pet hospital to more than 40 dogs and cats — along with a lone rabbit named Oreo — because their owners simply don’t have the space or resources to bring the pets with them, Harvilicz told The Post Wednesday.
“I had a family bring in 10 dogs, and they had to leave behind their horses,” she said. “To me, this is a no-brainer. I looked around and said, ‘I have a lot of space here. I can help.’”
Harvilicz, who runs two animal hospitals in the LA area, began welcoming the fire-displaced pets into the Animal Wellness Center Marina del Rey shortly after the blaze broke out Tuesday.
She has also taken four animals into her own home near the Los Angeles airport.
The hospital is roughly 12 miles from the rapidly growing wildfire, which has forced tens of thousands of people in Southern California to evacuate their homes as powerful Santa Ana winds fan the flames.
Harvilicz’s effort to coordinate pet rescues and care for the animals — as ash rains down from an “apocalyptic-looking” sky — has been exhausting but worth it, she said.
“I haven’t slept at all and my eyes are hurting from the smoke,” she said. “I do it because I love animals and want to take care of them.”
Stay up to date with the NYP’s coverage of the terrifying LA-area fires
The pets she’s rescued include a cat named Pumpkin and a Pitbull named Daisy — but bigger animals have been harder to save.
“One woman asked me to help with her nine donkeys and the problem was she didn’t have trailers,” Harvilicz said. “They had to release them and they most likely didn’t make it.”
“The real animal tragedy is the large animals,” she said.
Harvilicz posted a Facebook message offering to house the fire-displaced animals after her brother called Tuesday morning asking her to care for his cat and rabbit while he evacuated.
“I said, ‘There are gonna be more people like my brother who need help,’” she said.
Others have since volunteered to help Harvilicz, who runs the non-profit Animal Wellness Foundation.
Many of the fire-fleeing pet owners had multiple cats and dogs and couldn’t take them to the hotels where they’re staying temporarily, she said.
“If you have a pet that needs help, please reach out to a vet even if you think you can’t afford care,” she said. “There are vets like myself who are willing to help.”
The wildfire had ripped through 15,000 acres and killed at least two people as of Wednesday afternoon.
