Groups in La Ronge racing to rescue as many animals as they can after
wildfires force evacuation
Scott Larson
| CBC News | Posted: June 4, 2025 9:56 PM | Last Updated: June
5
Dozens of animals have been taken south to safety, but hundreds
remain behind
Image | Dogs rescued from La Ronge
Caption: These dogs were among about 30 animals that were
rescued from La Ronge, Sask. The town was ordered evacuated on
Monday. (Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie)
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While residents of La Ronge and the surrounding area have
escaped from northern Saskatchewan's wildfires to safer spots,
many of their pets had to be left behind.
Residents of La Ronge, along with those in Air Ronge, the Lac
La Ronge reserve and everywhere within a 20-kilometre radius,
were ordered to evacuate late Monday afternoon, after nearby
communities got the same direction earlier in the day due to
fast-moving fires in the area.
On Tuesday, another notice went out for all non-essential
personnel to leave town. Firefighters and an ambulance crew are
among the few people left in town, the town's mayor said.
So far, between 10,000 to 15,000 people have been forced to
leave their homes due to fires in the province, the
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said Wednesday.
WATCH | People had to leave their pets behind to escape the
wildfires. Here's who's helping:
Media Video | People had to leave their pets behind to escape
the wildfires. Here's who's helping
Caption: Volunteers are trying to help those animals left
behind when people evacuated La Ronge, Sask., and the
surrounding area.
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Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie, who owns Pawsitive Attitude Dog
Training in La Ronge, waited until the wildfire entered the
town before fleeing with about 30 animals to Prince Albert,
approximately 215 kilometres to the south of La Ronge.
* Low on power or data? Use CBC Lite for the latest on
wildfires
Woodhouse McKenzie and others originally had set up a base at
the rink in La Ronge and began gathering vulnerable animals.
But that all changed on Tuesday.
Image | Rescuing animals from La Ronge
Caption: Smoke envelops the Pawsitive Attitude Dog Training
building in La Ronge. (Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie)
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"All of a sudden the fire got, like, super bad, and it came to
our town and it started to burn a few shops on the main drag,"
Woodhouse McKenzie said.
She loaded up "three van loads of cats and dogs" and headed
out, she said.
"We had to go through the fires, and we got stuck on one side
of La Ronge for a while because the fires were so bad, and then
eventually made it through," she said from Prince Albert.
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But hundreds more animals had to be left behind in La Ronge and
the surrounding communities, she said.
Chelsie Breeze with Northern Animal Rescue in La Ronge is among
the people taking care of animals that were moved south, as
well as those left behind.
* La Ronge and several nearby communities ordered to evacuate
due to wildfires
* Lightning strikes spark new fires in northern Sask.,
stretching resources thin
"We're working with local families as well who had to leave
pets behind, having them message us to our Northern Animal
Rescue Facebook account so that we can start to get to those
animals [out] as well," Breeze said.
Image | Animal rescue workers
Caption: Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie, right, and Eric Choquette
are part of the team trying to save as many animals as they can
from La Ronge. (Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie)
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Breeze, Woodhouse McKenzie and others on their team are now on
their way back to La Ronge to rescue more animals.
"It's such a small amount [of pets saved so far], and that's
why we want to go back and try and get as many as we can, or at
least feed them," said Woodhouse McKenzie.
"We have lots of donations of food … so we're going to go and
feed as many animals as we can and leave out water."
Image | Cat and dog rescued from La Ronge
Caption: Northern Animal Rescue is looking for people who can
temporarily shelter animals, along with monetary donations, or
donations of animal food or kennels. (Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie)
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Breeze said it's been busy making sure the animals have food
and water, and also freeing any that are tied up so they can
run from fire if needed.
On top of that is "having to make some really quick, hard
decisions about which animals to take and which to leave
behind," Breeze said.
* 'I've never seen anything like it': Sask. premier says
thousands more may need to evacuate in coming days
* Living in a parking lot: Sask. evacuees share concerns with
emergency response
A transport truck has been made available to Northern Animal
Rescue, which hopes to get many more animals to safety.
"I'm not worried about material things," Breeze said. "I just
pray and hope that everybody has insurance and things like
that. But the living, breathing animals are my number 1
priority."
Pet help
In Saskatoon, Furbaby Pet Care is offering free services to
animals that have escaped the wildfires.
"Your pets are most likely just as stressed as [the owners],"
said Furbaby owner Jocelyn Davey-Hawreluik.
"We're here to help your pets get some exercise, to make sure
that they get some rest. "
The Hague Lake Pet Resort in Hague, just north of Saskatoon,
posted on Facebook that it has space for dogs that have been
affected by the wildfires.
Image | Cat rescued from La Ronge
Caption: This cat was lucky enough to be taken south out of La
Ronge. (Jayme Woodhouse McKenzie)
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Breeze said people can help in a number of ways, including
monetary donations through the Northern Animal Rescue website
or offering shelter, "whether it be permanent or just temporary
until we can relink animals with their family."
"We are feeding a large number of dogs in northern
Saskatchewan," so food donations or kennels are also needed,
she said.
Up-to-date info on active fires, smoke and related topics is
available at these sources:
* Interactive Sask. active fire map.
* Fire danger map.
* Fire bans.
* Environment and Climate Change Canada weather alerts.
* Sask. Highway Hotline.
* Smoke forecast.
* Air quality.
* Tracking wildfires across Canada.
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