To date, 145 pets have joined by their owners in evacuating from the devastating wildfires in the North West Territories, and the City of Calgary is stepping up to support those evacuees.
On Aug.23, Calgary Bylaw officers loaded the first of many deliveries to come for those pets: 280 pounds of dog food, 40 pounds of cat food, 20 pounds of litter, and other supplies like water dishes, litter bags, and leashes.
Ryan Pleckaitis, Chief of Calgary Community Standards, said that the efforts being made by city bylaw to assist evacuees was part of the spirit that City of Calgary employees have shown during the crisis.
“It’s just reflective of the spirit that we have here in the City of Calgary, and the willingness to help others that need our help. And we’ll continue to play that role,” he said.
Pleckaitis said that he hopes this helps to take away at least one of the concerns that some evacuees are having right now.
“You’re not sure if you’re gonna have a home to return to. I mean, hopefully, the courageous firefighters and other staff that are battling the blaze are successful and they keep the fire from reaching the city of Yellowknife, but I’m sure it just helps us to alleviate some of the stresses that they have,” he said.
“Their lives have been uprooted and and having to move temporarily to a new city, I’m sure that’s quite unsettling. So I think at any bit of support that we can provide will help.”
Chief Pleckaitis said that the City would continue to support evacuees as long as they need support.
As of Wednesday, 2,707 people from NWT have evacuated to Calgary, including 360 families, 450 children, and 304 seniors. The City has provided 1,204 hotel rooms at 48 hotels for evacuees.
