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Seasonal worker’s dog recovering from burns after 4 days missing in Okanagan wildfire

The beloved furry friend of a seasonal fruit picker in the South Okanagan is on the road to recovery after a harrowing few days.

The ordeal began in mid-July when wildfires broke out in the Oliver and Osoyoos area, which destroyed the place that the man had been living in.

It happened quite fast and his seven-year-old dog Tonnerre, which means thunder in French, fled from the flames.

“He frantically searched for Tonnerre after he bolted from the fires,” explained Alex Jay, a BC SPCA special constable.

“He was heartbroken, fearing his pet had died, but Tonnerre reappeared four days later, covered in burns.”

This is where Jay comes into the picture.

<who>Photo Credit: BC SPCA</who>Tonnerre

Now knowing where to turn for help, Tonnerre’s guardian put the dog in his van and drove straight to his brother’s home in East Vancouver.

His brother’s girlfriend suggested he take the ailing animal to Charlie’s Food Bank to see if the BC SPCA could help, which is where he met Jay.

“When we saw the dog we knew he needed treatment right away and transported him to a nearby emergency hospital for care,” said Jay.

“He was treated for his burns and other injuries, which thankfully turned out to be less serious than at first thought.”

The BC SPCA covered the costs of care and now Tonnerre is back with his grateful guardian and on the road to recovery.

“The man was so thankful for everything that had been done to help Tonnerre,” added Jay.

“He told me many of the seasonal fruit industry workers bring their animals as companions and he became very emotional as he was talking to me, fearing that there may be many other animals like Tonnerre who had been impacted by the fires.”

<who>Photo Credit: BC SPCA</who>Tonnerre and his grateful guardian.

Jay, who has been working regularly behind the fire lines in Lytton and Kamloops, explained that there’s no shortage of animals who have needed help during this wildfire season.

“We’ve seen some heartbreaking situations, but for the most part we have been able to locate animals who are alive and safe and have been able to reunite them with their thankful families,” he said.

“It’s a very good feeling to be able to make those reunions possible.”

If you would like to donate to the BC SPCA to aid the organization’s wildfire support, click this link.



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