FILE PHOTO - Puppy
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July 18, 2021 - 6:00 PM
An influx of evacuees needing safe places for their animals, as well as a general proliferation of pandemic puppies is making arrangements difficult for anyone trying to board their dogs.
Tammy Osborne at TLC for Pets in Kamloops says she has been getting more phone calls and emails than usual. She is at full capacity with a wait list that is full until the end of August. She says she has had to turn pets away from evacuees looking for help.
“I have pets that board with me regularly that are my first priority,” Osborne said. “It isn’t as simple as you might think taking in evacuated dogs. I generally have groups of dogs that get along well together as opposed to single dogs so we can take them in and out with less overhead required. Also, there are more dogs this year because so many people bought puppies during the pandemic while they were not working.”
Some residents and evacuees are being directed to Harmony Farm Kennel and Lamb in Monte Creek, which is accepting evacuated horses, sheep and dogs. Patricia Skinner-Porter has been running a boarding facility there for a decade. She is busy clearing out more spaces on her large farm property to make room for evacuated pets.
“I have a lot of space opening up here,” she said. “I have been getting inquiries from all over the place. Now I am getting them from the fire down at Douglas Lake area as well. And it has only just begun.”
Skinner-Porter has been clearing out pens and putting in more kennels. She has a gravity fed irrigation system in place to keep her property wet as a fire prevention, with an extra focus on the perimeters of the farm.
“The most common scenario is evacuees who find places to stay with friends or family in town, but their accommodations do not allow for pets and they can't find anywhere closer to board them,” she said. “I have spaces for horses, sheep and dogs, including the non-social dogs here.”
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