Pet owners find help with shelter, supplies
"Astro the Fire Cat" is now a Facebook celebrity. He was driven by the Boulder 2700 Fire to the edge of a cliff and leaped into a tree. Finley Point firefighter Bryce Muench coaxed him down into his arms. Astro was singed and has signs of respiratory damage but is recovering well. (Courtesy photo)
Many of the evacuees that fled the Boulder 2700 Fire and Finley Point area Saturday night and Sunday arrived at the Red Cross shelter at Linderman Elementary School in Polson with their pets.
Lynette Duford of Life Savers Animal Rescue (LSAR) had set up an animal rescue assistance site by early Sunday morning.
“When we first got here, nearly every vehicle had an animal in it,” Duford said.
The animals could not be allowed in the gym, but people were reluctant to part with them to access the services offered inside.
“We set up a little camp out on the lawn with crates. We were able to babysit people’s animals while they went in and got a shower and a meal.”
LSAR has a significant connection with the community. The organization has been actively rescuing, fostering and rehoming animals in Lake County for 17 years. With a quick request for assistance on social media, donations and offers of homes for the displaced pets and their families came pouring in immediately.
“The community has definitely matched the needs,” Duford said. “All of the needs were met for all of those people who showed up with their pets in their cars. We had leashes, collars, food and water dishes. We had cat trays and litter, and food for all the cats and dogs.”
The rescue eventually told its followers they had all the donations they needed for now, but would get back with them if more animals arrived.
The next need was to place people with their animals in a home somewhere, Duford said.
“A lot of people in the community opened up their homes to people and their pets.”
Mission Valley Animal Shelter pitched in, too, taking in a stray dog from LSAR to open up a foster home space for a fire rescue.
Some people are staying in the shelter while their pets are staying in temporary foster homes.
“Others couldn’t be separated from their pets, which is understandable,” Duford said. “We were able to find enough homes that would take humans and their pets together.”
Some are staying in a spare bedroom or basement, others in a camper, or are even just camped out in a tent within a fenced yard so their dogs can run free.
“But they are with their pets, which is what matters most. It’s really been quite amazing,” she said.
“We did get some cattle and some horses placed from the evacuation area,” Duford said.
Any requests they got to help with cattle, horses and even goats were able to be met with pastures and water sources offered by the community.
The animal holding facilities at both Ronan and Polson fairgrounds have been made available, as well, according to Lake County Fair Manager Sjaan Vincent.
LSAR coordinated with the Red Cross so that any offers of assistance could be matched with requests, no matter which organization was contacted.
“There isn’t a single person that needed a placement that hasn’t gotten it,” Duford said. “And as the firefighters work their way through the burned area, we are available to take any live animals that are found,” Duford said.
Some animals have needed veterinary care, and LSAR has assisted with some of those expenses if necessary.
“Each time we have called a vet during this incident, they have gotten the animal in immediately.”
Three moving rescue stories received a lot of attention on social media. A black cat was pushed by flames to the edge of a cliff and jumped to a tree for safety. Finley Point firefighter Bryce Muench coaxed the cat down a branch into his arms, Duford said. Nicknamed “Astro the Fire Cat,” he was singed and had lung damage. He is being treated at Southshore Veterinary, and his owners, who lost their home in the fire, have been able to visit.
A dog was stranded on a dock, unable to escape due to fire on the shore. It was eventually rescued by a Lake County Search and Rescue boat, but its owners have yet to be identified. A second cat was found on Finley Point and taken to a foster home.
LSAR has an ongoing list of homes for temporary placement of small animals and livestock, as well as homes where people can stay with their pets, Duford said.
Contact Life Savers Animal Rescue at the Red Cross shelter at Linderman Elementary in person, call the main rescue number at 406-676-4200 or message them on Facebook.