Beloved pets in Canada rescued from wildfires by volunteers who stayed behind

Source: Associated Press

Beloved pets in Canada rescued from wildfires by volunteers who stayed behind

BY SUSAN HAIGH
Updated 2:43 AM EDT, August 26, 2023

-snip-

Dengler said she tried to catch her three cats on Aug. 13, when she left her home in the town of Hay River because of a nearby wildfire.

“I think they picked up on my fear and it kind of drove their fear a little bit, and they were not cooperative,” she said.

So, she took her two dogs, a suitcase of clothes and her electronics with her. She filled a bathtub with water and left an open bag of dry food on the floor for the cats, thinking she’d be gone for a few days. Once it became longer than that, she looked for help.

That’s when she saw a message on Facebook from Dr. Michelle Tuma, a veterinarian in the Northwest Territories capital of Yellowknife and a member of Veterinarians Without Borders. Tuma has spent the past month trying to help families flee with their pets, reunite with them or keep tabs on animals left behind.

-snip-

Ultimately more than 100 animals were rescued and brought to the city where they were kept at boarding facilities, shelters or with the more than 80 foster families who came forward to help.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/canadian-wildfires-yellowknife-pets-rescued-0f39d170c159482515e4dfb44cea6a54