A dog pants in a kennel at an animal shelter in California. In Stockton, the city animal shelter has closed for two weeks due to a highly contagious dog disease. (Alise Maripuu/Bay City News)

The Bay Area animal welfare organization Berkeley Humane is launching a rapid-response foster care program to protect cats and dogs during emergencies, the organization announced this week.

The FIREPaws program, or Fosters in Response to Emergencies, aims to reduce overcrowding in public shelters and support regional evacuations by recruiting and training Bay Area citizens to quickly provide pets with safe shelter and care during natural disasters and emergencies.

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