Joplin Tornado Relief Effort by Ramona Group

Three Ramona residents are heading to Joplin, Mo. to help rescue animals in the aftermath of the tornado that devastated that town May 22.

Animal rescue technicians Doug Lake, Jan Pickton and Erika Judson will head out  on Friday night representing Emergency Animal Rescue, a nonprofit organization that assisted with animal evacuations during the 2003 and 2007 Cedar and Witch Creek Fires. They'll be taking the group's 22-foot-long mobile command van.

Two other members of the all-volunteer organization will accompany them. They will meet up with Code 3 Associates in Joplin. The local group plans to return around June 7 or 8.

Emergency Animal Rescue has been based in Ramona since 1993.  

"We are dedicated to rescuing any animal from a life threatening situation," the executive director Doug Lake told Ramona Patch by email Wednesday morning.

People can follow this group's efforts on their Facebook page where they'll add pictures, videos and updates.  

Donations to help Emergency Animal Rescue can be made through their website via the Pay Pal link.

This video was taken inside a walk-in storage fridge in a store in Joplin, as people huddled for safety during the tornado.