AARCS almost at capacity

Times Reporter 

 

The Alberta Animal Crew Rescue Society (AARCS) has been busy since flooding began on June 20, helping with the rescue and temporary housing of over 120 animals. 

“We’re getting more and more requests from people who have come to the realization that their home is uninhabitable and that it could be some time before they find new housing options,” said AARCS Executive Director Deanna Thompson.

“One thing we’re working on today is trying to find more volunteer foster homes to come forward to care for these animals. Their pet may be the only thing that they have left and of course we want to be able to get (their pet) back to them at some point.” 

On the evening of Thursday, June 20, Thompson said, they started getting a few calls from some areas that were being evacuated, with people asking for help housing their pets. She said things seemed to explode by the next day with help being needed for numerous rescues. Thompson said they also called Siksika to see if they needed help with their animals. 

“They told us to come out and we assisted in rescuing about 80 or so (pets) from Siksika. We brought them back to Calgary and (are) temporarily housing them as well as animals from Calgary and a few from High River,” said Thompson.

“We have currently in care a large number of cats and dogs, one turtle and a few birds as well as (have) assisted in the rescue of a few pigs and chickens and horses.”

She said the horses have gone back to their owners; they just needed to be led to higher ground. Donations that have come in have been wonderful, said Thompson, and AARCS staff have been sorting through the pet food and the laundry soap and bleach.  

“Our main need right now is more volunteers to help with the shelter as well as foster homes to take on these animals on a longer term basis. We’re thinking at least three months,” said Thompson. 

The society is nearly at its capacity for housing, and it seems like the need for help is not slowing down, even though nearly two weeks have passed since the initial call for help.

“We’re getting close and we won’t be able to help more unless we have those volunteer foster homes to come forward. I wouldn’t say we’re at capacity yet, but I would say we’re very close to being and there’s still a large number of animals that need placement and more and more coming out of High River as owners are realizing now that their homes are destroyed,” said Thompson. 

She said AARCS have also been asked if they can help find homes for the pets the group Heaven Can Wait in High River has been taking care of. 

A number of homes in High River are still under water, and the chance of salvaging anything diminishes with each day.

“I know some of the areas I was in personally were so far from the river you never would have believed that would have got that far and I think a lot of the home owners felt the same way,” said Thompson.

 “So we hope as this kind of dies down that people won’t forget about the animals and the people as well. It is very, very sad what has happened and it is going to take a very long time to recover from it.”

Many cats are in need of temporary homes right now, as are a number of dogs. 

To register as a volunteer foster home you can email foster@aarcs.ca or call 403-250-7377.

Thompson said the rescue and housing has put a strain on the foundation and that they are always in need of financial donations as well, which can be done through the website www.AARCS.ca.