Man Known as the 'Johnny-on-the-Spot' Animal Rescuer for His L.A. Community Ramps Up Efforts During Wildfires (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Horses saved from the L.A. wildfires (left) and a rescuer’s view of the fires.Photo:Courtesy Jenny Earhart (2)

Courtesy Jenny Earhart (2)

Austin Muhs, an astrologer and project manager living in Santa Monia, California, is always ready to help an animal in need.

But Muhs' devotion to helping animals doesn’t stop at large-scale rescue operations; the emergency rescue specialist also makes time to help individual struggling critters. OnNextdoor, a social network for neighborhoods, Muhs is one of the go-to guys his Santa Monica community recommends when a user needs animal rescue assistance.

“When a post appears on Nextdoor asking for guidance to help care for injured birds, or how to protect vulnerable creatures like motherless possums and squirrels, neighbors often post a simple solution: Contact Austin,” a Nextdoor spokesperson shared about Muhs' local celebrity status.

It’s common for Muhs to receive several calls or inquiries daily, especially about birds needing help, and he does his best to respond to them all.

A view of the Palisades Fire from a 999 Rescue Team animal rescuer.Courtesy Jenny Earhart

Courtesy Jenny Earhart

When the Palisades Fire started on Jan. 7, Muhs didn’t wait to be asked for help; he posted a message on Nextdoor, letting his neighbors know he was ready to help with animal rescue and evacuations in any way he could. With the assistance of the 999 Rescue Team’s “amazing helpers and volunteers,” Muhs started responding to requests from overwhelmed animal owners, especially people worried about their horses.

“The first call I got was for a horse in the Palisades, so I kind of went into disaster prep mode and started looking for teams to trailer the horse out. Then I called my friend Jessica, who has hookups in the Palisades, just in case we needed to make a call to get past a roadblock. Thankfully, there was no roadblock, and we were just able to get in and be of assistance,” Muhs tells PEOPLE about his first rescue in response to ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Horses saved from the L.A. wildfires.Courtesy Jenny Earhart

Since the first successful horse rescue on Jan. 7, Muhs and his team of rescuers have helped save a growing number of animals from the fires.

The number of people helping Muhs has also grown. Muhs created sign-up sheets for volunteer and donation opportunities for those inexperienced in animal rescue work and posted them on Nextdoor for community members “eager to help but unsure of how to contribute.”

Livestock rescued from the L.A. wildfires.Courtesy Brady Heisler

Courtesy Brady Heisler

He hopes his actions and the courageous efforts of the rescuers he works with inspire others to support their community.

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“Try to be a leader in your community. I was just a punk 20-something when I started doing all of this,” Muhs says, adding, “Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do. Do what you can to form your own local teams and organizations.”

Click hereto learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

source: people.com