Nova Scotians offer temporary homes to animals displaced by Halifax-area fire

Nova Scotia organizations and businesses are stepping up to provide temporary homes for animals displaced by a Halifax-area wildfire.

Barb Rockwell, facility manager for the Windsor Agricultural Society, said they have taken in 50 horses from the area and have capacity for more.

The society was hosting a barrel racing show when Rockwell started getting calls and messages about the fire and made arrangements to have the stalls ready to receive incoming horse in a hurry.

"It was stressful but we were glad to be able to help … the horse community combined with the fact we're Maritimers, it was incredible to watch," Rockwell said.

She said people showed up with bales of hay and bedding for the horses to prepare the stalls for the new visitors.

'Unreal'

She said it was "unreal" that it came together so quickly and easily.

Many of the horses now in Windsor are from Restless Pines Farm in Hammonds Plains.

Owner Heidi MacInnes said she was monitoring the progress of the fire, contacted the society and asked if she could move them there, if there was a need to evacuate the farm. 

MacInnes said she contacted friends with horse trailers to be on standby.

By 5 p.m. when she realized how fast the fire was spreading, MacInnes said she decided it was time to move the horses.

She said she loaded six horses in her trailer and volunteers showed up to help move the others.

"Thankfully a lot of people came with trailers and brought all the horses," she said.

"There was quite a caravan all the way to Windsor and we got them all off the property in under 30 minutes."

She said 47 of the farm's horses are now at the agricultural society and other sites.

The Nova Scotia SPCA has also been taking in pets displaced by the fire.

'Being loved and fed'

At 7 p.m. Sunday, the organization decided it would open its doors to help families who had to leave the area without their pets through the Paws and Support program, spokesperson Sarah Lyon said.

"We are taking in their dogs, cats, critters and giving them a temporary home," Lyon said.

"They are being loved and fed and exercised while their families are sorting out if they can go home or find temporary housing."

A tweet from the SPCA said they had already taken in 75 animals by Monday morning.

Jollytails Resort, a local pet store, was offering after-hours boarding for dogs displaced by the fire.

In addition to helping people forced out of their homes, Kaitlyn Osbourne-MacIntosh said the store has been getting calls from other dog daycare facilities that were in the path of the fire.

"We know a lot of people are in the path of destruction," Osbourne-MacIntosh said.

"They just got to grab their stuff and go so this gives them peace of mind that their dogs can be somewhere while they're finding somewhere safe for themselves."

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