Get the barn and the pets ready before the first El Niño storm

Federal forecasters say there is a better than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this fall and winter, and a 69% chance that the October-to-December period will be stronger than any El Niño on record back to 1950. A wetter-than-average winter is the clearest signal, with the biggest impacts most likely from December through March. Los Angeles County emergency officials are urging residents to prepare now, and the state has declared an emergency to speed up preparations. Possible impacts include heavy rain and flooding, landslides and debris flows, road closures and power outages. Read the county's preparedness briefing.

A strong El Niño does not tell us exactly what any one storm will do here. It does mean repeated storms are more likely than usual, so it pays to prepare once, early. For horse owners:

• Fix the footing now. Look at where water pools in paddocks and around the barn, and add drainage or fresh footing before the ground is saturated.
• Check hooves and skin daily once it turns muddy. Constant wet is hard on feet and legs. Call your vet if you see heat, swelling, odor or sores.
• Stock and protect feed. Keep extra hay and grain off the ground and covered, enough for a stretch when roads or deliveries are cut off.
• Plan to move horses. Have a trailer that is ready to roll, halters on hand and at least two routes out, since washes and roads can close fast.
• Make every horse identifiable. Keep a halter tag with your phone number and current photos and records in a waterproof folder.

For dogs, cats and other pets:

• Update microchip contact information and keep recent photos of every pet.
• Pack a go-bag: a week of food, medications, vaccine records, a leash or carrier, and water.
• Create a calm indoor spot for pets that panic during thunder and heavy rain, and keep them inside when storms hit.
• Know where you could take them. Many emergency shelters have limited space for animals, so line up a friend, boarding facility or hotel in advance.

Halloween is Saturday: lock up the candy, mind the door and check the costumes

Trick-or-treat night brings a stream of strangers in strange outfits, and the ASPCA's poison control experts say it is one of the riskiest nights of the year for pets. A few habits cover most of it:

• Lock up the candy. Chocolate in any form, especially dark or baking chocolate, is dangerous for dogs and cats, and sugar-free candy sweetened with xylitol can cause serious problems too. A dog's nose will find a stash hidden in a bedroom, so keep it out of reach. If your pet gets into candy, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 right away.
• Mind the front door. Constant knocking and costumed visitors stress even calm pets and can make them bolt through an open door. Put dogs and cats in a quiet room away from the action, and make sure every pet has ID tags and a microchip with current contact information.
• Check costumes before the big night. Try them on early. A costume should not restrict movement, sight or breathing, and should not have dangling pieces a pet could chew off. Never leave a costumed pet alone.
• Walking after dark? Use a reflective collar and a secure leash.
• Horse owners: if your barn or pasture is near a busy street, consider bringing horses into a stall or a secure paddock for the evening, since noise and costumed crowds can spook them.

The full list is on the ASPCA's Halloween safety page.

LA County found its first rabid raccoon since 1973. Check your pet's rabies vaccine.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed a rabies-positive raccoon in a Westlake Village backyard, the first rabid raccoon in the county since 1973. Four people at a nearby worksite are getting post-exposure treatment, and a vaccinated dog that may have been exposed is under quarantine and doing well. Officials say it was most likely infected by a bat. Read the county's announcement.

Bats are still the main source of rabies in LA County, and this year is a record. The county has confirmed at least 76 rabid bats in 2026, and some have been found inside homes. Pasadena's Civic Center just had its third. Fox Weather has the numbers.

What matters for Antelope Valley animal owners, per LA County Public Health:

• Keep rabies vaccines current, including for indoor-only cats and older pets. A vaccinated pet exposed to wildlife faces a 30-day quarantine. An unvaccinated pet faces six months.
• If your pet is bitten or exposed to wildlife, separate it from other animals and people right away, then call your vet, local animal control and Public Health.
• Never touch a bat with bare hands. If a bat gets into the house, or you find one on the ground near a pet or child, call for help rather than handling it.
• Horse owners: ask your equine vet whether rabies is part of your horse's vaccine schedule.

The county's pet-owner page has the full steps: LA County Public Health: Rabies and your pet.

Rabies shots and microchips: where to get them in the Antelope Valley

With rabies in the headlines, it is a good week to check your pet's vaccine record and microchip. Here is where Antelope Valley owners can start:

• LA County Animal Care and Control. The county runs vaccine and microchip clinics for cats and dogs at its Lancaster and Palmdale animal care centers, by appointment, with two pets per appointment. Its most recent flyer listed rabies vaccines at $10 and microchips at $7.50 (registration not included). Dates and prices change, so book and confirm at animalcare.lacounty.gov.
• Boulevard Veterinary Hospital, Lancaster. Advertises a low-cost vaccine clinic for dogs and cats. Call (661) 942-1489 for current hours and pricing. Clinic details.
• North Valley Veterinary Center, Lancaster. Offers a walk-in vaccine clinic at 43619 Sierra Highway. Check the site for current hours and prices. Clinic details.
• Palmdale residents: the city has held free drive-thru pet microchip clinics, most recently in May, in partnership with Community Effort Animal Rescue and funded by Measure AV. They are open to residents within city limits. Watch the city's animal care page for the next date.

Horse owners: call your equine vet to confirm your horse's vaccine schedule before winter.

A Lancaster rescue that gives wild mustangs a second chance

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue has operated out of Lancaster since 1997, taking in abused, abandoned and slaughter-bound mustangs and domestic horses. The nonprofit says it has rescued more than 1,000 horses itself and helped arrange the rescue of nearly 1,000 more for other groups.

At its Lancaster ranch, staff handle and gentle rescued horses so they can be placed in adoptive homes. Horses that can't be adopted live out their lives at its sanctuary property, which it describes as close to freedom on the range as it can offer.

Programs include Adoption Preparation Training, the Happy Horse Academy natural horsemanship workshops, a Wild Horse Boot Camp for gentling and Wild Horse Warriors, a program that pairs rescued horses with veterans. The ranch also runs a volunteer program with levels that include hands-on horse handling.

Thinking about adopting, volunteering or donating? Start at wildhorserescue.org. We couldn't confirm public visiting hours or a current adoption schedule, so check the website or contact the rescue before you go.

Adopt local: the county's Lancaster and Palmdale animal care centers

Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control runs both Antelope Valley shelters, and both have dogs and cats waiting.

• Lancaster Animal Care Center: 5210 W. Avenue I, (661) 940-4191.
• Palmdale Animal Care Center: 38550 Sierra Highway, (661) 575-2888.

Visiting hours and appointment rules have changed in recent months, so check the county's site before you drive over. You can browse available pets online at animalcare.lacounty.gov. Animals marked ready to go home are already spayed or neutered and microchipped, and they are adopted first come, first served.

Can't adopt right now? The county's website is currently asking for bottle baby fosters, a way to help the youngest shelter animals without a long-term commitment.

Vets, clinics and animal businesses: get listed

The AV Paws & Hooves business directory helps local pet and horse owners find the vets, animal hospitals, farriers, trainers, groomers and boarding facilities that serve the high desert. If you run an animal business in the Antelope Valley, we'd love to include you. Add your business to the directory.

Hosting an animal event in the AV? Horse show, adoption day, clinic or fundraiser, we'd love to share it. Post your event here.

Know a pet or horse with a story to tell? Hit reply and tell us about them.