Three Canadians are being praised after they went into an evacuated area to save pets from wildfires in Canada’s Northwestern Territories last Monday, according to CBC News.
Dozens of dogs and a few cats were saved by the rescue efforts.
Yellowknife resident Jason Card recalled how the Behchokǫ̀ evacuation order came through the evening of July 24. He said, “I didn’t know if anybody had decided to go out and help with any animal rescues.”
He then noted he, his teenager, and 80-year-old stepfather “hopped in our truck, came to the SPCA, got as many kennels as we could and we just headed out the highway.”
The group arrived around 8 p.m. Card said, “Literally as soon as we got into town and people heard that we were rescuing dogs, we had people coming up to us asking us to get the dogs and if we had room.”
“We filled every kennel that we had,” he added.
They drove the animals to safety and then turned right around to go save more. By the time the second rescue was complete, it was 5 a.m. the next morning.
The group kept the animals on Card’s property and decided to get a few hours of sleep before setting out for a third rescue attempt. The main highway was closed during this trip, and they had to take a detour.
Just as they were discussing getting the rest of the animals on a plane, the highway opened back up and they went back into Behchokǫ̀ once more.
Local news source Cabin Radio reported Card continued making the trip to save as many animals as possible and has had to rely on help from others along the way as more obstacles occurred.
A man who says he has rescued dozens of dogs from Behchokǫ̀ is stuck behind a roadblock with 16 more – and says he could use a hand.https://t.co/CcFvfcDHRx
— Cabin Radio (@CabinRadio) July 28, 2023
Dr. Michelle Tuma, a Vets Without Borders Canada worker in Yellowknife, has been aiding Card in finding long-term shelter and food for the rescued animals through the SPCA and local boarding facilities.
Card described his desire to help, stating, “I own four dogs. They’re very important to me. And yeah, sometimes they’re kind of forgotten in all this. And I didn’t want them to be forgotten.”
He went on, “It’s the least we can do for these guys. They can’t protect themselves, so we should do it for them.”