Barks and yelps could be heard as the Bark Bus pulled into Barrie Saturday afternoon, filled with dogs and cats being transported from the north.
Several Simcoe County rescue organizations were on site preparing to receive the 111 animals that have been surrendered into the care of Northern Reach Network in Thunder Bay.
The 81 dogs and 30 cats needed to move out of shelters and foster homes to make room for animals being displaced due to the wildfires in northwestern Ontario.
Volunteers spent the afternoon at the Lost Boys Hope Rescue site where they transported the four-legged friends to their allocated organization, a total of 19 different rescues in the region.
On the journey down south, the Bark Bus made stops at rescues in Sudbury and Parry Sound where some animals were dropped off before arriving in Barrie.
Saturday’s rescue was deeply personal for Pam Odom, transport coordinator at the Georgian Triangle Humane Society in Collingwood and volunteer with Northern Reach Network.
“This particular event hits a bit close to home,” Odom says. “I have family up in the north who have evacuated on their own but doing something meaningful for animals that don’t have options, animals that don’t speak for themselves, it certainly brings me a lot of joy to be able to be on their path to new homes and new places.”
Rescues were lined up ready to receive the animals with organizers calling them one by one to collect their dogs and cats and load them off into their vehicles, where they get sent to new shelters and foster homes.
Meghan McDonnell, founder of Northern Connection Rescue, says connecting with other rescues and raising awareness about the animals in the north is key.
“I think the more rescues that work together, the more dogs that we can help, but also we can advocate for what is happening in these communities,” says McDonnell. “Getting the help up there, bringing them down is just a Band-Aid, but bringing awareness to people in the south like overpopulation of dogs.”
“We need to get up there spay and neuter clinics, medicines, vaccines, wellness clinics to help bring that overpopulation of dogs down, to minimize it and help with that, but also to help with people that are in communities that are looking for help with their animals.”
The Bark Bus won’t go back up north empty.
McDonnell says there’s a significant donation from several different rescues, donated by people in the community to help animals and families affected by the wildfires up north. Items like leashes, dog bowls, food, crates and other essentials will all be sent up north.
For anyone wishing to help the cause, McDonnell encourages the public if they are not in a position to donate or adopt an animal, to post and share information from rescues on social media to help get the word out.
