Keeping fur babies fed in a fire zone

FLIN FLON — Harley Eagle became an expert at breaking into houses during the month-long evacuation of this northern community as a wildfire raged nearby.

However, he had the homeowners’ permission.

While 5,100 Flin Floners waited out the fire in southern Manitoba, Eagle and his wife, city councillor Judy Eagle, offered to stay behind and feed animals that didn’t make the trip with their owners.

“It was groundhog day every day. You get up at 5:30 a.m., go to the community hall, make the coffee and then that’s when you start caring for all the animals,” he said Wednesday afternoon, as residents slowly made their way back to their homes and pets.

Most animals were left behind because owners simply didn’t think they could take them with, Eagle explained. Other animals were regular strays around town that Eagle developed a soft spot for.

After coming up with the idea of pitching in, Eagle put out a call on social media, took down addresses of residents who needed care for their animals, grabbed a few screwdrivers and got to work.

Every day, Eagle roved around town feeding about 70 cats, dogs, frogs, birds, fish and turtles.

Judy made her own concoction of bird seed for the stranded fowl, while Eagle got food for the dogs and cats from the Co-op food store and Walmart.

Many stores, including Co-op, McMunn & Yates and an ice-cream shop, kept their doors unlocked so emergency personnel could stop in when they needed food or supplies to fix equipment.

Eagle estimates he went through three or four 55-pound bags of food every day.

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“When I first started, they were a little leery of me, but they quickly realized I was the guy feeding them and then after three or four days, (I) could pet them and they were fine,” he said.

However, not all animals took to him so easily.

“Some of the cats I don’t think I saw once,” he chortled. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to have everyone home.”

On Monday, the Winnipeg Humane Society hosted a supply give-away so evacuees had food, dishes, toys, linens, collars and leashes and pet litter for their fur babies once they returned home.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca

Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer

Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole.

Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.