This article highlights the formalization of a pet emergency evacuation plan following a 1999 wildfire that charred more than 52,000 acres in the Apple Valley, California, area. The plan outlines general principles for animal care during and following emergencies; an identification procedure; and coordination with the emergency operations center, volunteers, and the media. Describes the first major test of the new plan in 2003 when additional wildfires threatened the town. For its efforts, Apple Valley received a 2004 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence. Reprinted with permission from Western City, the monthly magazine of the League of California Cities. Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. For more information, visit www.westerncity.com.