OTTAWA, ON, August 2, 2024 – Following the recent wildfires in Western Canada, including those that devastated the historic town of Jasper, Alta. this past week, Veterinarians Without Borders North America (VWB) is offering support to pet guardians and animals affected by the blazes. In what was the single largest fire in the history of Jasper National Park, according to Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, an evacuation order for the town of Jasper is still in place, although fires in the town have been eliminated. Approximately one-third of the town’s buildings were lost during the fires, which sadly includes the town’s veterinary clinic. The communities of Little Red River Cree Nation and Chipewyan Lake have also been evacuated due to wildfires, with a re-entry date set for Monday, August 5.
“Our hearts go out to the people and animals impacted by the devastating fires in Jasper, Little Red River Cree Nation, Chipewyan Lake, and other areas of Alberta,” said Charmaine Brett, VWB’s executive director. “Losing your home and access to critical services, such as veterinary care, is almost unimaginable for many of us – but due to climate change and increasing heat and dry conditions, worldwide, these disasters are sadly becoming even more frequent,” added Brett. “As part of VWB’s emergency response efforts, we are working with the Hinton and District SPCA, along with tele-triage provider, Animal HealthLink in partnership with Peace River Veterinary Services, to offer necessary animal supplies and veterinary care to pet guardians and animals in Alberta that have been affected by wildfires,” Brett said. “The hope is that we can ease the burden on Alberta’s veterinary community, which has been through so much this past week, and offer supplies to families that have lost everything,” she added.
If you've been evacuated due to wildfires in Alberta and require veterinary care, VWB is funding a telehealth line, which has been set up by Peace River Veterinary Services in partnership with Animal HealthLink. You can reach them by calling 780-900-3966. VWB also supplied the Hinton and District SPCA with much-needed supplies such as cat litter, litter boxes, cat food, pheromone collars, and cat toys for cats being sheltered at the SPCA while their guardians secure housing.
“With the recent fires in Jasper National Park, the support from VWB has been phenomenal,” said Cathy Thomas, fundraising and special projects coordinator with Hinton and District SPCA. “Not only have they reached out to us with advice on handling the animals, but they have also sent us a large amount of cat supplies, including wet and dry food, treats and calming collars,” added Thomas. “The Hinton and District SPCA cannot thank VWB enough for their support.” Currently, the Hinton and District SPCA are caring for 24 cats, six fish, three birds, and two snakes that arrived at the SPCA either through Jasper Bylaw Officers or pet guardians that have lost their homes.
After responding to wildfires that swept across the Northwest Territories and the island of Maui last year, along with earthquakes that devastated areas of Türkiye, VWB has committed to providing emergency support for communities and animals facing natural disasters.
Individuals interested in supporting VWB’s wildfire response efforts can learn more and donate by visiting vwb.org/wildfires.
We also encourage individuals to visit alberta.ca for updates on evacuations and other information
Photo(s) from the Hinton and District SPCA
(c) Hinton and District SPCA
Media Contact
Laura Eley
Communications & Media Relations Manager
E: laura@vwb.org
C: +1(343) 633-0272
About Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amerique du Nord
Using a One Health approach, Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) works for, and with, communities in need to foster the health of animals, people and the environments that sustain us. VWB works in Africa and Asia to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged rural populations through veterinary and agricultural services, sustainable animal production, training, value chain development and sustainable natural resource management. Additionally, we support remote Northern Canadian communities to improve animal health through temporary spay and neuter clinics, reduce the spread of rabies, and work to create the conditions for long-term, community-led sustainable animal health services.
Learn more at vwb.org
About the Hinton and District SPCA
The Hinton and District SPCA is the only SPCA between Kamloops B.C. and Edmonton AB. Located in Hinton, Alberta, it serves Jasper, Edson, Hinton, Grande Cache and Yellowhead County. Our website will help our supporters, adopters and future adopters learn more about the services we are currently offering, view our volunteer opportunities, and highlight our fundraising efforts.
Learn more at hintondistrictspca.com
About Animal HealthLink Canada
Animal HealthLink is a pioneering veterinary teletriage company serving veterinary practices and hospitals across Canada and the USA. Launched in January of 2021, their innovative platform was created to address challenges in the veterinary industry such as staff shortages and burnout. Animal HealthLink allows practice owners to offer their clients 24/7 care and advice from veterinary professionals. When an animal guardian reaches out to their clinic with medical questions, a Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT) will answer their call and triage the case using pictures, video and Animal HealthLink’s proven-safe triage algorithms. Animal HealthLink RVTs have an average of 15 years of clinical experience and can handle all major species, including companion animal, equine, bovine, exotic, and small ruminant patients. With a 99.99% safety margin, Animal HealthLink is able to give peace of mind to animal guardians while allowing veterinarians to provide the best care possible to their patients by preserving their work-life balance.
Learn more at animalhealthlink.ca
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