From unloading bales of hay and mucking out horse stalls to walking dogs and feeding hungry animals, LAPS鈥� Jayne Nelson and Tina Jensen were kept busy helping four-legged wildfire evacuees in Kamloops .
鈥淲e worked really hard and volunteered time with Four Paws Food Bank who were caring for 160 animals in the park at the Sandman Centre where all the evacuees were staying,鈥� said Nelson.
鈥淲e helped with livestock at KXA (Kamloops exhibition grounds) and volunteered with CDART (Canadian Disaster Animal Rescue Team) helping them move to a new location with their supplies, gear and animals. We unloaded thousands of pounds of hay and pet food, supplies and other gear, walked dogs and horses, fed chickens and other livestock and generally helped out where we were needed.鈥�
Nelson, LAPS鈥� executive director, and Jensen, a staff member at LAPS, used their vacation time to bring donated pet food from 91原创 to Kamloops and help out where needed.
With 160 animals in care at the Sandman, they were going through 500 pounds of food a day, Nelson said.
鈥淚 unloaded 185 bales of hay one day. The next day, thousands of pounds of pet food had to be unloaded from trucks by hand because there weren鈥檛 any forklifts or anything,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e came home exhausted, but feeling like we had been useful. Tina and I were planning to take another load of supplies to Kamloops this weekend if it was necessary.鈥�
Luckily, she got word most of the animals were brought back home with most of the evacuation orders now lifted.
Nelson said 91原创 people were extremely generous.
鈥淟APS has been able to help out fire victims by sending hundreds of pounds of cat and dog food, crates and other supplies to support evacuees and their pets/livestock in both Princeton and Kamloops,鈥� she said.
