A Registered Vet Technologist says planning for large scale emergencies is important for both human and animal safety.  Lorraine Serhienko has volunteered at many recent emergency events like the Fort McMurray wildfire and the prairie fire in Southwest Saskatchewan. She believes lessons have been learned with each response.

She explains that through no fault of the rescue organization involved, animals from the La Ronge fire in 2015 were scattered in different locations, and some animals didn’t get returned. Later with the Fort McMurray fire, the rescued animals were all located on one site.

One of the challenges, Serhienko says, were the rogue rescuers who were going in to the fire without permission, putting themselves and the animals at risk, and the people who had to go in to find them. Serhienko estimates over 1,000 cattle died in the fire.

She says organizing mental health supports was a big part of the response for producers and for volunteers because of what they experienced, dealing with the cattle that died in the fire and having to euthanize others. Serhienko spoke at an emergency preparedness webinar hosted by the Saskatchewan SPCA.