Pets evacuated from Fort McMurray wildfires receive help, but those left behind must wait

Animal rescue groups across Alberta are banding together to help pets affected by the Fort McMurray wildfires, but there is little they can do right now for those left behind.

"At this point there is no one who is going into the homes because it hasn't been declared safe yet," said R.J. Bailot with the Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force the Calgary organization co-ordinating the relief effort.

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"People are becoming desperate and it's sad because we don't have any answers for them."

Bailot said there are not even any staff left at the Fort McMurray SPCA, which was evacuated on Wednesday.

He said they have volunteers on standby who are well trained to rescue animals in disaster zones, but until the mandatory evacuation orderis lifted all they can do is help pets that made it out with their owners, who are now taking refuge elsewhere.

Kennels collected for displaced pets

The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society and the Calgary Humane Society needed 900 crates to be dropped offThursdayat their Calgary shelters to send north.

They received more than enough kennel donations, some of which were flown toSuncorcamps that arehousing evacuees who did manage to get their pets out in time.The company is now in the process of flying people and their pets to the south.

"There's so much involved because so many people have animals,"Bailot told theCalgary Eyeopeneron Thursday.

"Think about thethousands of people being evacuated there's going to be thousands of animals that are being displaced too."

Evacuees forced to leave their animalsbehind in their homes inFort McMurray are asked to fill out an animal assistance request form throughtheFort McMurray Fire Emergency Animal Assistance Facebook Page.

When officials giveanimal rescuegroups the green light to go into thecity, they'llbe armed with the information they need to recover pets.

Thesame form should also be used by evacuees who needfood orshelter for their animals while they are living in temporary accommodations or tofind a pet-friendlyplace to stay.

Pet map

People can alsopinpointthelocationwherethey lost, or found, a petin and around Fort McMurray on a map, which isalready populated with hundreds of posts ofdogs, cats, lizards, fish, bunnies,birds, horses and livestock.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener