Man hailed a hero after defying evacuation orders to save pets from a horrid wildfire

Pets often turn out to be an incredible source of support and comfort when humans are going through a hard time. According to NIH, having a pet enhances one's quality of life. But do pets get the same amount of respect in exchange for the love they shower on their humans? Oftentimes, they are not prioritized like the humans of the family. One man refused to let this be the case when wildfire wreaked havoc across a community, reports CBC. During the evacuation of Behchokǫ̀ in the Northwest Territories of Canada, Jason Card ensured that pet dogs and cats were not left stranded.

Behchokǫ̀ is an area located on the Yellowknife Highway at the northwest tip of Great Slave Lake. Recently a wildfire occurred in the area that devastated the entire region. Fortunately, before the wildfire, there was a warning given by the authorities to civilians so that they could evacuate the place before the calamity got intense. Immediately after hearing this news, Card headed to the location to rescue the pets that may be left behind. "I didn't know if anybody had decided to go out and help with any animal rescues," he said. At present, he is at home with dozens of animals that he rescued from the wildfire.

Recounting his instant response to the news, Card said: "[We] hopped in our truck, came to the SPCA, got as many kennels as we could and we just headed out the highway." He was accompanied on this adventure by his teenage son and 80-year-old stepfather. They arrived at 8 pm and immediately had a truck full of animals. He said, "Literally as soon as we got into town and people heard that we were rescuing dogs, we had people coming up to us asking us to get the dogs and if we had room. We filled every kennel that we had."

They did not stop after one trip. They came back for another set of rescues. Their second trip ended at about 5 am. In order to get their energy back, they rested for a while and again got back on the road. At this point, they had used up all their tools and had to borrow cube vans and kennels. Unfortunately, on their trip back, they found that Highway 3 has closed. It caused them to go for a diversion to Hay River for the night. They then began to get resources in place to transfer animals with the aid of airplanes.

While deciding their next step, they heard the good news that the highway was reopened. Therefore, they turned back and went to get as many animals back as possible. In Card's opinion, they saved around 30 animals through their efforts. After hearing about this, Dr. Michelle Tuma, associated with Vets Without Borders Canada in Yellowknife, offered her help. She has been trying to find homes and shelter for these pets. She has gotten aid from some local boarding facilities and the SPCA. She has also been seeking help from people who might have some space and apt resources in their homes for these animals. Ultimately she hopes the community will step up to face this obstacle like Card.