Four months after the Eaton Fire tore through our community, we’re preparing for a very special celebration. A small gray cat named Skinny Minnie, who beat the odds after being badly burned in the fire, is finally going home.

She first arrived at Pasadena Humane on January 9, carried in by a Good Samaritan who found her in the rubble of a destroyed Altadena home. Her injuries were severe—third-degree burns covered her body. Her whiskers were gone, her paw pads scorched, and she was struggling to breathe.

At the time, our Intensive Care Unit had become a makeshift burn ward. With help from partner clinics, shelters, and veterinary schools, our medical team treated a steady flow of injured animals—dogs, cats, wildlife, and even livestock.

Skinny Minnie was among the most critically burned, and we weren’t sure she would survive. She was immediately given pain medication, antibiotics, and supportive care. Her wounds were cleaned and dressed daily.

Slowly, she started to recover. As her condition stabilized, her personality began to come through. Even while healing from life-threatening injuries, she was gentle and affectionate.

She arrived without any ID, and her injuries made it nearly impossible to confirm her identity. People who had lost cats during the fire came by for weeks, hoping for a positive match. It wasn’t until about a month after the fire that we learned who she was.

Before the fire, Skinny Minnie had been a neighborhood cat. She’d charmed Altadena residents Mark and Lisa, who had been caring for her and slowly introducing her to their two indoor cats. She’d just started transitioning into life as a full-time family pet when the fire broke out.

Mark and Lisa were able to evacuate with their indoor cats, but Skinny Minnie was missing. With winds driving the fire rapidly toward their home, they made the heart-wrenching decision to leave without her. Their house was soon destroyed by the blaze.

When they found out their beloved neighborhood cat had survived and was in our ICU, emotions ran high. They were relieved but also grappling with everything they’d lost. Still, they were committed to bringing her home—once they had a place to take her to.

Skinny Minnie has remained in our care, receiving ongoing medical treatment, including a couple of surgeries to remove scar tissue that affected her mobility. By mid-April, she had recovered enough to move into one of our larger cat rooms. Because the scarring on her paws makes hard surfaces uncomfortable, her new space was lined with soft blankets and mats.

I’m happy to say that she’s scheduled to go home with Mark and Lisa next weekend. After everything she’s been through, it’s a milestone we’ve all been looking forward to.

Our dedication to Skinny Minnie represents our larger commitment to pets and the people of our community. We continue to provide free shelter and veterinary care for animals displaced by the Eaton Fire who have nowhere else to go. To date, we are still sheltering over 100 displaced owned pets with no home to return to.

Skinny Minnie’s story of hope and resilience reflects our mission to build a compassionate community–one that stands together to protect, heal, and reunite pets with the people who love them. It’s a true testament to the strength of the human-animal bond.

Skinny Minnie’s recovery was made possible not only by our veterinary team, but also by the generous support of our community. From donated supplies to emergency funding, every contribution helped her heal. Her story shows what we can accomplish together—especially when animals and the people who love them need us most.

On Tuesday, May 13, we’ll be celebrating our 4th annual Day of Giving. It’s an opportunity to show your support for animals like Skinny Minnie, who is the face of this year’s campaign, and so many others like her.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Peggy L. Parent Trust, every gift will be MEGA matched up to $100,000 through Tuesday, May 13! This means every $1 becomes $4 for animals in need.

Donations help us provide food, shelter, medical treatment, and a second chance for animals in need—not just during disasters like the Eaton Fire, but every day. Learn more at pasadenahumane.org/dayofgiving.

Chris Ramon is interim president and CEO of Pasadena Humane. pasadenahumane.org