Vanderhoof physician, Dr. Shannon Douglas, who is currently overseas, offered up her property to help wildfire evacuees who were on order and those who self-evacuated from Fort St. James.
Nearly 60 dogs, their owners and a number of horses seek refuge on the Douglas ranch. More than 40 of the dogs are sled dogs and the remainder are house pets.
Dr. Douglas’ mother, Ann Douglas, a wildfire evacuee from the Fraser Lake/Dog Creek area, was overseas when she got the order to evacuate her home. She arrived in Fraser Lake on Wednesday, August 15.
“It was terrifying,” Douglas, who was visibly shaken, said. “All I could think to grab were sleeping bags. Today I got a phone call from someone managing the fires near my house, they wanted to confirm I left. They said it didn’t look good, I might have already lost my home, I don’t know yet.”
Ann’s sled dogs are visibly agitated, confused and uncomfortable with their new surroundings and lack of mobility. The dogs are conditioned to race and need exercise.
“I am keeping them confined right now so the smoke doesn’t injure their lungs,” Douglas said. “They don’t like that very much.”
Craig Houghton, principal of the Fort St. James Secondary School chose to self-evacuate. He was invited to stay in a travel trailer on the property with his sled dogs. Houghton was unavailable for comment. He was off the property at the time.
“It is difficult to house animals that run in packs or herds,” Douglas said. “The have pecking orders and can hurt each other. We especially have to be careful with the horses because one has a foal.”
Owners of the other animals Douglas is tending to have found alternate accommodations.
Dr. Douglas’ parents received a number of offers to stay in Prince George but chose their daughters property, for now. That way they can care for the animals while their daughter is gone.
“If something happens in Vanderhoof and we have to leave again, I will take the people in Prince George up on their offer,” Douglas said.
