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CCgerbilClan
03-02-05, 04:01 AM 03-02-05
:(

Hey everyone,

The feral cat rescue I volunteer with, 4Paws, burnt down. They lost all of their supplies, their two barns, their two dogs, and 30 cats. They couldn't get them all out of the barns...the ferals kept running back in, and going to the back, and soon the fire was to intense for everyone to get back there to chase them out....everyone's spirit is crushed.

Here's an article from Tuesday's paper:

30 cats perish in Lamont shelter blaze
Two dogs also die as facility's two barns go up in flames

Vernon Clement Jones
The Edmonton Journal

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

EDMONTON - Workers at an animal shelter near Lamont are grappling with the aftermath of a fire that swept through the facility early Monday morning, killing many of the cats and dogs for which they had been searching to find homes.

"We've lost almost all the food for our animals and many lives as well," a tearful Tamara Polloway-Webb, spokeswoman for 4Paws Animal Rescue, said Monday. "We tried to save as many lives as we could. We tried to get as many out as we could."

4Paws pegs the number of cats that died in the fire at 30, among them feral cats that could never have been placed with a family. Both of the facility's two dogs also perished in the blaze.

The two barns of the not-for-profit shelter northeast of Edmonton went up in flames around 4 a.m. before workers managed to free many of the cats inside.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with damage estimates at between $50,000 and $80,000.

However, the blaze may have delivered a death blow for the shelter, which is staffed by volunteers and dependent on donations to feed its animals, she said.

"We feel like we should shut the doors, but we're not going to," Polloway-Webb said. "We're going to try to stay afloat."

For now, all remaining animals at 4Paws have been housed in other buildings on the property, which was once a dairy farm.

Edmonton's two north-end PetsMart locations are now collecting donations on behalf of the shelter.

:( It's a horrible thing. We're all going out there to help clean up, and try to find the cats that ran away during the blaze.

If anyones interested in donating, I'll get the 4Paws mailing address as soon as possible.

Edith
03-02-05, 06:58 AM 03-02-05
I am extremely sad for your lost! I know how it can feel, my neighbour's barn burnt down last year killing all his 100 cows, 15 caves, 7 cats and 2 dogs and a number of chickens. Two cats made it out and that's it. (I inherited of them, they are still alive and well, although one lost an ear in the fire and I now believe that he is deaf)
I hope that the shelter will get back on its feet and generous donations will be done.
All my thoughts are with you!

liv4pete
03-02-05, 12:02 PM 03-02-05
omg, that is so horrible. I am so sorry to you and all your fellow volunteers. I hope that the shelter is able to get the donations it needs to stay afloat for the sake of all the animals it helps. My thoughs are with you and all the animals that were saved.

Jiffykat
03-03-05, 04:09 PM 03-03-05
That is so sad, I am actually crying. Do they know how the fire was started?

brandy pup
03-03-05, 05:20 PM 03-03-05
Oh I am so terrbily sorry! (((hugs)))

CCgerbilClan
03-05-05, 08:37 AM 03-05-05
:( The fire was started by a spark from a heater

andreaS15
03-05-05, 09:33 AM 03-05-05
That is just awful. :(
Those poor animals, and those poor people. What an awful thing to happen.
I'm glad to hear the Volunteers are not wiling to give up, even after such a tragic disaster.

Jiffykat
03-05-05, 12:54 PM 03-05-05
:( The fire was started by a spark from a heater That is still very sad, but at least it wasn't set on purpose by some cat hating asshole.

Infojunkie
03-05-05, 06:35 PM 03-05-05
As someone who also works in a shelter, my heart goes out to all the volunteers. So sad, I couldn't imagine how to cope with such an experience myself.

andreaS15
03-05-05, 07:49 PM 03-05-05
That is still very sad, but at least it wasn't set on purpose by some cat hating asshole.In our Locl paper there is a story about one of "those" types of people.
This old man has a beautifully maintained garden, which is obviously this mans life. And well his neighbours cats use it as a washroom (as cats do), but they have also attcked his canaried he keeps in a cage out on teh garden wall during teh summer when it's nice out.
Anyways the old guy decided to place out leg hold traps! and well caught on of the neighbors cats, the vet bill was over $1000. Well teh old guy's now getting threatening calls and such, adn I kinda feel bad for him, BUT what the heck was he thinking? I mean if theneighborhood kids are picking his flowers is he going to shoot them?
Some people are so ignorant, There are Cat repelants you can buy and spred in your gardens, or hang on the plants, and they work wornderfully.

Another reason I'm all for indoor cats, it keeps them away from the old cat hating people.