Dozens of pups rescued from Fort St. James are one step closer to finding their forever homes in Victoria, thanks to the efforts of a team of volunteers from Fort St. James Animal Care Team (FSJACT) and RainCoast Dog Rescue Society.
On April 13, a team from the Victoria-based RainCoast Dog Rescue Society went to Fort St. James to collect the puppies. After a lengthy drive, the team safely transported the furry companions back to Victoria, making a pit stop in Vancouver along the way.
“We will place these beautiful puppies into their foster homes and keep people updated, as we let them decompress and see the vet for their health checks and vaccines later next week,” posted RainCoast Dog Rescue Society on social media.
This isn’t the first time FSJACT has coordinated such a rescue, revealed Shara Walsh, a volunteer with FSJACT.
“The previous batch of puppies went on March 9, and in total, we’ve sent out 34 puppies.”
These rescue missions hold a special significance for the team, as they honour the memory of Chantel (Delos) Thomas, a founding member of FSJACT who passed away.
“She [Chantel] really wanted to see a lot of good happening out of this and she really wanted to be involved. So we decided to name our puppy rescue missions Chantel’s Angels,” Walsh said.
Before receiving assistance from Victoria, attempts were made to contact nearby rescue centres in Quesnel and Prince George, only to find them overwhelmed with high demand.
The group broadened its search efforts and utilised a connection through team member and veterinary technician Katie, who originates from Victoria. Katie facilitated the connection with the organisations based there.
But where do these rescue pups come from? According to Walsh, they hail from various areas around Fort St. James. “Anybody who has unwanted litters of puppies, they contact us,” she said. “We take the puppies and find a place for them to go and we also stay in touch and try to encourage the owners to spay and neuter so that this doesn’t happen again.”
FSJACT, a newly-minted group, has been making significant strides since its inception earlier this year. Walsh said the volunteer-run group meets regularly at The View Hotel, utilising local dog kennels – kennel Nahounli Kennels and the Nak’azdli Kennel near Fort St. James– to temporarily house dogs and puppies while relying heavily on foster homes.
In addition to rescue efforts, FSJACT is actively involved in hosting vaccine clinics and launching ‘Speuter Transportation,’ aimed at facilitating spaying/neutering and vaccine services for dogs and cats in need.
To sustain their efforts, the group engages in various fundraising activities, including Bingo nights at Kwah Hall and accepting donations of food, blankets, leashes, and more at The View Hotel.