Truck full of pups evacuated from wildfires arrive in Barrie, get set for adoption

Dozens of dogs and a handful of cats who were evacuated from the Northwestern Ontario wildfires get set for fostering and adoption.

Dozens of dogs and a handful of cats who were evacuated from the Northwestern Ontario wildfires arrived in Barrie Sunday afternoon, where they will be fostered and prepared to eventually find their new homes.

Kelley Ward, founder of ‘Lost Boys Hope Rescue,’ coordinated their week-long journey over thousands of kilometres from Sandy Lake to Thunder Bay to Sudbury. She picked them up in Sudbury on Sunday and drove them to her Lost Boys warehouse in Barrie.

“65 dogs and four cats, I believe,” said Ward of the precious cargo. “These are dogs that have been previously on surrendered lists that are strays that someone in the community is helping us with, or dogs of people who have been evacuated that wanted their dogs out so that they can be safe.”

Ward and her volunteers carefully but quickly unpacked 27 of the pups to limit their exposure to the extreme heat and prepared them for their foster owners as they lined up at the front door.

“It’s just a good feeling. It’s something that makes a difference,” said Chris Proestos, who fostered one of the pups for his mother. “We had a dog before, my late sister’s dog. We put her down recently, and it’s good for my mother to have companionship.”

Most of the other canines and cats were picked up by members of the Georgian Triangle Humane Society.

13 dogs and two cats were bound for fosters in Collingwood, three dogs and two other cats were transported to Vaughan and another dog was brought to Kitchener.

“Very emotional to say the least,” said Pam Odam, Georgian Humane Society transport coordinator, of the process. “Right now, we’re doing [trips up north] weekly to try and relieve the pressure on the fosters in Thunder Bay, so that they can bring in more dogs that either need respite from the fires or that they’re being surrendered.”

The other dogs in the hands of Ward and her volunteers will be quarantined for two weeks before getting fostered, vetted, spayed, neutered and vaccinated. They will then be put up for adoption.

At that point, Lost Boys Hope will prepare for their next shipment of canine evacuees.

“I’ve had northern dogs for ten years,” said Ward. “It’s where my heart and soul is. I love helping the communities, I love the people up there, so that’s where I go.”

Ward adds that they are always looking for additional volunteers and donations so that they can keep more dogs happy and connect them to more foster owners.