Coughs and sore paws: How rescue organizations are saving pets from wildfires

Melissa David says she’s barely slept since endangered pets from Yellowknife and Kelowna started arriving at her rescue organization three days ago.

David is the executive director of Parachutes for Pets based in Calgary, Alberta. She says the past 24 hours in particular have been “chaos” after British Columbia Premier David Eby declared a state of provincial emergency Friday evening amid a rapidly escalating wildfire crisis.

Meanwhile, the 20,000 residents of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, were told they had until noon local on Friday to evacuate as fires moved closer to the city.

Residents in both Yellowknife and Kelowna have been scrambling to find safety not only for themselves, but their pets as well.

“It’s been almost like we’re at the intersection of two major emergencies,” David told Global News.

Many owners forgot to pack their pets’ harnesses or medications in the hurry of fleeing from their homes, David says.

She says the pet charity has been working day and night providing supplies for pets, placing them in foster homes until they can return to their owners safely, and getting them into emergency vet care if needed.

Some pets have arrived in David’s care with a cough from the smoke or a sore paw from hot spots, she says.

The charity is also responsible for ensuring all pets are up to date with vaccinations before placing them in a boarding facility.

“It’s been a lot of moving parts… but we’re just trying to get everyone where they need to go and get them taken care of,” David said.

3:57 How to help wildfire evacuees with their pets

Around 400 pets have come into the pets charity’s custody since Wednesday. About 250 have been placed in foster homes. David says she expects at least another 100 pets to come their way.

“It’s tough for everybody, but phones don’t stop. We’re averaging eight to 10 calls a minute of people just panicked.”

Though many pets have been able to make it safely south, the challenges don’t end there. David says not all evacuation sites and hotels allow pets.

As a result, a lot of pets have to go into foster care, but David says owners have complete contact with their pets and foster families, which helps all parties feel more at ease.

“We’re just making sure that the pet has everything it needs in this time until they can either return home or find more permanent accommodation,” David said.

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David is urging pet owners to prepare an emergency kit for their pets in case they ever have to quickly evacuate their homes, or even just a list of necessities. The kit can include a three-day supply of basic necessities, current photos and descriptions of pets, medications and medical records and an up-to-date identification tag.

“You can never be too ready for something like this,” she said.

The government of Northwest Territories’ current evacuation guidelines permit pets on flights, but with restrictions. Pets are required to be crated on Royal Canadian Air Force aircrafts whenever possible, the government says on its website.

“If crates are not available, cats must be harnessed, dogs must be leashed and both must be held as close as possible at all times. Other pets must be contained in appropriate cages,” the government says.

Veterinarians Without Borders, another pet rescue organization, is aiming to fill the demand for crates in Yellowknife by bringing them from the south.

“It’s chaotic here, but we are doing everything we can,” Dr. Michelle Tuma, Veterinarians Without Borders’ veterinary specialist, said in a press release. “Every crate in town was bought out, and you can’t get your pet on evacuation flights without one.”

Small communities surrounding Yellowknife have also been affected by the capital’s wildfires, even without their own active blazes.

Fort Smith — a town about 700 kilometers south of Yellowknife — received an evacuation order as well last week due to the risk of strong winds driving a fire to lone highway leading out of the community.

Many pets weren’t able to flee safely with their owners, which is why the owners of Northern Hound Supply pet store asked to stay back.

Anna Gervais, one of the store owners, says that besides caring for her own seven dogs, she’s providing help for a number of cats, parrots, guinea pigs and even chickens.

1:54 Military helping after wildfires close evacuation routes out of NWT towns, some evacuees airlifted

But it’s been far from easy. Gervais says the evacuations were “absolute chaos.”

“It was the most extreme amount of stress I’ve felt in my life,” she told Global News.

Fort Smith was left without communications service the first few days, obstructing Gervais and her co-owners from contacting anyone for help.

Service only returned to the town Friday night, a week after evacuations were ordered.

“It was scary. I’m not going to lie, it was super scary,” Gervais said.

Since the road out of Fort Smith — Highway 5 —  is now closed, Gervais says there’s no way for pets to return to their owners until it’s safe for evacuees to come back. In the meantime, Gervais and her team are relocating pets to animal shelters, sending them to a veterinarian if needed and providing food and water.

“Dogs are here for a reason, they deserve a chance. All of the pets deserve a chance, so that’s what we’re here for,” Gervais said.

Gervais says despite the lack of service, many other residents who stayed behind have been coming together to support the town. For example, they are spreading the word about the pet rescue service and cooking meals for firefighters.

“I’m so proud of our little town,” Gervais said.