Image Credit: Adam Donnelly / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

DONATIONS NEEDED

BC SPCA temporary evacuation centre opened in Kamloops for animals rescued from Lytton

Jul 8, 2021 | 4:04 PM

KAMLOOPS — As families who escaped wildfire zones in BC’s Interior work to recover, their four-legged, furry family members are being brought to the SPCA’s temporary evacuation centre in Kamloops.

The temporary animal evacuation centre is located at High Country Cold Storage — a 5,500-square-foot air-conditioned warehouse on the Tk’emlups reserve. Longtime SPCA volunteer and former branch manager Jennifer Gore took CFJC crews on a tour of the initial set-up.

“I’ve been in a number of animal evacuation centres and this is probably the best one I’ve seen because it’s just so calm and quiet and removed from everything,” she explains. “It’s great for them.”

BC SPCA Communications Manager Lorie Chortyk says Kamloops is one of two cities in B.C (the other being Prince George) that was equipped last year with the supplies needed to set up an evacuation centre at a moment’s notice. Emergency boarding is one of two key services offered each wildfire season by the SPCA.

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“Then we also have our special constables who go behind evacuation lines and bring out animals who may not have been able to come out with their owners, or perhaps owners weren’t home at the time of the evacuation order.”

Thursday (July 8), SPCA officers gained access to what remains of Lytton to retrieve pets and farm animals after a wildfire burned through the village on June 30. Gore says they’re expecting those animals to arrive by the evening.

“The TNRD has been working closely with people behind the lines to feed and water the animals but it has been a long time that they’ve been in there because many people had to leave just on a moment’s notice,” she says. “They didn’t have time to wrangle up a cat or a dog that was running loose.”

It’s not clear yet how many of the retrieved animals will require medical attention, but Chortyk adds that the SPCA does provide veterinary checks.

“Because these are owned animals, we’re limited in what kind of things we can provide without the owner’s permission, obviously. But we want to make sure that every animal is safe and healthy and is reunited with their owners.”

Out of Lytton, dogs will be housed in the air-conditioned warehouse on Dene Drive, while cats and other small animals will be taken to the year-round Kamloops shelter on Tranquille Road. From there, Chortyk says animals will be cared for by SPCA volunteers and staff until their owners are able to pick them up.

“Being able to provide that, being able to reunite them with their animals and let them know that they’re safe and they’re well is such a gift in an otherwise devastating time for them.”

Along with cash donations, Gore notes that the SPCA is hoping the community will pitch in key items to make their guests as comfortable as possible.

“Exercise pens for dogs, we need crates of all sizes — that is something that is really needed,” says Gore. “We also need cat litter. Food isn’t too bad, we always accept donations of food but we’re not doing too bad with that. But leashes, collars, toys for the animals to relieve their stress.”

Donated items can be dropped off locally at the Kamloops SPCA Community Animal Centre (2816 Tranquille Rd), and monetary donations can be made online through the BC SPCA website.

With wildfire potential in the months to come, the SPCA says it will operate the evacuation response centre warehouse as long as it’s needed.