As wildfires continue to rage in northern Ontario, local shelters are banning together to help animals being displaced. The Georgian Triangle Humane Society is one of those organizations. It received eight dogs and one cat via the Bark Bus on Saturday, out of 111 animals transferred to the region. Staff say the animals are settling in well and getting ready to go up for adoption. “This is our first real response to the wildfires,” says Jessica Molter, shelter operations manager for GTHS. A mother and her four puppies were part of what staff say was a “seamless transfer” down from the north. “Everybody is doing really well upon arrival,” says Molter. Most of the animals that came down to the GTHS are in foster care except for the cat, Maple, a calico, who is currently living on site. One of the dogs that arrived, named Winston, has some medical ailments, which staff suspect are due to a dog attack from when he was living up north. His teeth are in rough shape and he also has just half a tail. Luckily, the shelter could put him in foster placement, which staff say they are very grateful for. He’s also able to get the critical medical care he needs here, which was not available to him in the north, something all too common for northern animals. Two of the puppies that arrived are Sully and Vixxy, who are already in foster care and getting acclimated to their new lives. The animals will get their surgeries including neutering or spaying and their vaccines before they’ll get posted to the website for adoption. The GTHS says anyone interested in fostering or adopting animals should reach out, which will allow space for more animals to come down from the north. “We are building our foster roster,” says Kristin Holmes, director of development and communications for GTHS. Holmes says the shelter is at capacity, so the animals need loving homes which will allow the GTHS to take in more animals that are being displaced due to the wildfires in the north.
