Janelle Andrews and Cory Lien with their dogs Jasmine and Aurora.
Image Credit: Contributed
September 03, 2015 - 4:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - A Barnhartvale couple who lost their dog Aurora and all their possessions in a fire last month continue to search the streets of Kamloops for their only memory of home, their other dog Jasmine.
Janelle Andrews and her partner Cory Lien came home to see friends try to douse the flames at their mobile residence, which is outside of city fire protection services, Aug. 21.
"It’s completely levelled. The only thing that was there really was the tin roof that collapsed on it,” Andrews says. "Some of the appliances you can figure out what they once were."
Andrews says her landlord, who lives next door, noticed flames coming from the home and came ‘barrelling down to see what was going on.'
The landlord heard Aurora wailing and once he kicked down the door, the dog ran out on fire. He extinguished the dog and then it passed out.
Jasmine, the couple's German shepherd-husky cross, was nowhere to be found.
Andrews and Lien transported Aurora to the vet. The dog had severe burns to her face and body. To assist Aurora’s recovery, the couple moved her from Kamloops to a specialized vet clinic in Vancouver. Sadly, the dog’s injuries were too extensive for recovery and she was put to sleep Sept. 1.
Andrews' dog Aurora died Sept. 1 following the fire. The family is still searching for their second dog Jasmine .
Image Credit: Contributed
“She was a fighter,” Andrews says. “She had good days, but then she started to show signs of turning septic. We said right from the beginning if she continues to fight, then we will too."
Fighting to cope with Aurora’s death and the loss of their home, Andrews says she and Lien can depend on their friends and family fighting to help them any way they can, from places to live to furniture and a GoFundMe account.
“You never really realize how many friends you have until you go through something like this,” Andrews says through tears. “All they’ve done is show kindness."
Aurora after she escaped from the fire. The dog later died of her injuries Sept. 1.
Image Credit: Contributed
While they have a place to stay in the interim after losing it all, the couple is still missing one of their family members — Jasmine.
“Continually from the night of the fire until today we have been searching for the dog. We’ve been blasting it on Facebook and want to get more information out,” Andrews says.
The dog has been spotted a few times. Once she was running down Tranquille Road near MacDonald Park. Her owners say they’re trying to make regular stops at places that might be familiar to Jasmine. Andrews says they keep an eye out for the dog park on Ord Road.
“We think she’s grasping at straws to find a familiar place,” she says.
Jasmine is a six-year-old brown and white German shepherd-husky cross. Andrews says from what she’s heard the dog didn’t suffer any injuries in the fire.
If you see the dog, contact Andrews at 250-319-0228 or Lien at 250-318-5972. The couple says they're willing to offer a cash reward for Jasmine’s return.
Jasmine is a brown and white husky german shepherd cross. She was last seen running down Tranquille Road. The dog was separated from the family on the day of the fire, Aug. 21.
Image Credit: Contributed
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015