Yellowknifers step up to rescue pets left behind in Behchokǫ̀ after evacuation

When the evacuation order came on Monday evening for Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., it didn't take long for Jason Card of Yellowknife to decide that's where he was going.

"I didn't know if any anybody had decided to go out and help with any animal rescues," he recalled on Wednesday, back home in Yellowknife along with dozens of animals he retrieved from wildfire-threatened Behchokǫ. 

"[We] hopped in our truck, came to the SPCA, got as many kennels as we could and we just headed out the highway."

Card — along with his teenage child and 80-year-old stepfather — made it to Behchokǫ at about 8 p.m. that night and quickly had a truck full of animals to bring to safety in Yellowknife. 

"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," he said.

After completing that first delivery to Yellowknife, they turned around and drove right back to Behchokǫ to round up another load of pets. It was about 5 a.m. when they got back to Yellowknife the second time.

After a few hours of sleep they headed back to Behchokǫ again, this time with a borrowed cube van and more kennels. Once they got there, Highway 3 closed — forcing them to divert to Hay River for the night and figure out how many animals they could get on a plane to Yellowknife.

"Then we heard on the radio that the highway was open, so we just decided to turn and bring as many as we could back," he said. 

Card figures they managed to bring "30-some" dogs to safety, along with a couple of cats.

Dr. Michelle Tuma, with Vets Without Borders Canada in Yellowknife, heard about Card's efforts on Monday night and quickly got in contact, offering to help. She's been finding shelter and food for all the homeless critters, with help from some local boarding facilities and the SPCA.

She's also been reaching out to animal foster homes, or other people who might have space.

"So just a lot of community connection," she said.

Tuma calls Card's efforts "insanely heartwarming." 

"It just shows, I mean, the sense of community that is in the North and the lengths that people will go to," she said.

"Nobody else was stepping up to help out with the evacuation of pets. He did and it's amazing. And since then, he's really inspired other people to do so as well."

Card says he's ready to go back to Behchokǫ as soon as he's allowed, to round up any more animals left behind. 

In the meantime, he feels good knowing so many are now safe in Yellowknife. He said it was especially emotional for him when he managed to collect up a mother dog and her five puppies — one of which had been cowering under a house.   

"I own four dogs. They're very important to me. And yeah, sometimes they're kind of forgotten in all this. And I didn't want them to be forgotten," he said.

"It's the least we can do for these guys. They can't protect themselves, so we should do it for them."