07/04/2021
We will be assisting fire evacuees and their pets over the next while.
Emails and messages likely will not be answered promptly. Thank you for your patience.
Important ways to help evacuees is to:
-share credible sources of info to evacuees you meet
- tell them where the nearest dog park or pet supply or vet is.
- if you see someone strange in your neighborhood looking a bit dishevelled do not immediately assume they are up to no good. When you are evacuated there is nothing to do but walk around and worry. If you were living in only a few sets of clothes in this hot weather you would look pretty grubby too.
-offer any extra pet supplies you have ( crates, food, bowls, leashes, collars, litter, litter pans) to your local spca or animal rescue
-leave your contact information with them to offer to foster one of their pets in your home if you are able.
- volunteer at your local shelter or rescue. They will need help with feeding, exercising animals stuck in crates and with just plain ol TLC or even answering the telephone or picking up stranded pets.
- donate cash
These animals are completely stressed and vulnerable to disease, escape/getting lost and injury.
The rescues will be inundated with new pets needing adoption….on top of the ones they usually get.
Fires cause job loss, and loss of pet friendly accommodations. At the best of times pet friendly accomodations are hard to get and many live pay check to paycheck.
While lovely, government emergency support is very brief and doesn’t begin to cover the true costs of staying away from home.
Rescues encourage evacuees who have lost their homes and belongings to not give up their pets on impulse but they need foster homes to do this. Often fosters can care for their pets until the evacuees get established in a new place.
A pet is an important source of comfort on any day let alone in times like this.
Help is out there, but it depends entirely on our sense of community spirit ….us helping each other.
Please do what you can to help. Thank you.