After the largest fire in over a century at Jasper National Park swept through the town, forcing hundreds to evacuate, animal-friendly hotels in Calgary are welcoming evacuees and their pets.
Evacuation is not just about personal safety, it’s also about protecting beloved pets.
With animal-friendly hotels becoming a beacon of hope, wildfire evacuees are opting to stay with their furry companions rather than seeking refuge in animal shelters.
“We lost our house … so we gathered all our checklists and put everything in our two vehicles and trailer. We grabbed our cats, we were dog-sitting at the time,” said Joseph Laba, a Jasper resident and evacuee.
The heart-wrenching decision to leave behind one’s home is made even more daunting by the thought of separating from pets.
“They are stressed from driving, whenever cats have been hiding under blankets, under beds, stuff like that,” Laba said.
“By the time we went to Golden, B.C., we were cut in between two fires so we bugged out of there, went to Cochrane, went to the Calgary emergency centre there and they were fantastic.”
But by choosing to stay in pet-friendly hotels, evacuees can maintain a sense of stability and normalcy, which is especially crucial for anxious pets.
“Wholeheartedly, thank you … because it made a big difference.”
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Animal shelters have also stepped up by offering multiple services for displaced residents and their animals.
This includes safekeeping them while people are out making arrangements, providing vet care and pet supplies, and even walking pets in hotels for owners who have mobility issues.
“We are encroaching on 40 right now because we’ve had a mix of pets that need a place to stay but we’ve also had some issues with air quality, so if people are out and have chosen campgrounds or things like that to wait this out,” said Melissa David, the founder and executive director of Parachute for Pets.
“We’ve had some evacuees from B.C. as well just because B.C. is going through a lot and there’s not a lot of pet-friendly (places) left there,”
Meanwhile, the Calgary Humane Society says they are on standby to offer support and are prepared to welcome any pets into their emergency boarding program.
“So we haven’t been contacted yet however we have a lot of outpouring support from our community here in Calgary ready to welcome in animals to support those that might be fleeing at any given time,” said Sally Johnston, the director of community services of the Calgary Humane Society.