Some very special guests made a surprise appearance at the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) base camp in Lytton on July 23, to the delight of wildland firefighters battling the Nohomin Creek wildfire.
The six-week-old litter of 10 pups arrived courtesy of owners Tricia Thorpe and Don Glasgow, whose home just outside Lytton was destroyed in the Lytton Creek fire in June 2021. They had to evacuate without their animals, leaving them to the mercy of the elements.
A trio of BCWS wildland firefighters 含羞草研究社� Jamie von Sacken, Olivia Hughes, and Chad Goldney 含羞草研究社� found mama Sunshine, father Thunder, and grandma Moonshine, along with Sunshine含羞草研究社檚 litter of nine pups, on the property. The adult dogs, all of them Great Pyrenees, had dug a huge hole in the garden and buried the pups in it to keep them safe, says Thorpe.
含羞草研究社淛amie, Olivia, and Chad fed and watered the dogs, along with our alpaca and sheep,含羞草研究社� she says. A few days later, Thorpe and Glasgow 含羞草研究社� along with volunteers from B.C. and Alberta Livestock Evacuation 含羞草研究社� were able to get to the property and bring the animals out. Sadly, Thunder died of smoke inhalation and stress on the way to safety in Kamloops.
Thorpe and Glasgow, who have since rebuilt their home, obtained a new dog, Lightning. He is the full baby brother of Thunder, and came from the same breeder in Alberta as his older brother.
Given his age (less than nine months old), Lightning should not have been quite ready to be a father. To everyone含羞草研究社檚 surprise, however, it became apparent earlier this year that Sunshine was pregnant, and on June 14 she had a litter of 10 pups.
Thorpe and Glasgow named three of them Jamie, Olivia, and Chad, in honour of the firefighters who had helped save them the year before, and on June 23 Hughes and Goldney 含羞草研究社� who got engaged to each other last year 含羞草研究社� met their namesakes. Less than a month later, they 含羞草研究社� along with von Sacken and numerous other wildland firefighters who had battled the Lytton Creek blaze 含羞草研究社� were back in the area to tackle the Nohomin Creek wildfire, which started just northeast of Lytton on July 14.
含羞草研究社淛amie, Olivia, and Chad are all back from last year, and other familiar faces are back who were here last year,含羞草研究社� says Thorpe. She was delivering some dog food to residents on the west side of the river recently, as the fire crew came off shift, and Thorpe asked firefighter Chad Haugen if she could bring the puppies to the base camp to boost morale.
含羞草研究社淪ome of the guys were walking away, but they turned and said 含羞草研究社楶uppies!含羞草研究社� I said to Chad 含羞草研究社楾hey have spoken.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Only von Sacken, Goldney, and Haugen knew the pups were coming at around 8 p.m. on July 23, as the crew got off shift.
含羞草研究社淚 just wanted our community to have something positive to look to during these difficult times,含羞草研究社� says von Sacken, who has lived in Lytton for eight to nine months of the year almost every year since 2016, and who asked to come back to help out after his experience there in 2021 and his extensive knowledge of the area. He adds that several of the other firefighters have either chosen to live in Lytton, or were born and raised there.
含羞草研究社淭hey were super excited and they really enjoyed the break from their work,含羞草研究社� he says of the crew含羞草研究社檚 reaction during the surprise 含羞草研究社減aw patrol含羞草研究社� visit. 含羞草研究社淭hey had been working long shifts, and until the fire started calming down they were still on high alert from the stress of the first day. The dogs were really good for helping with that.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭heir reaction was the best part,含羞草研究社� says Thorpe. 含羞草研究社淪omeone hollered into the service bay that there were puppies. They were in the back of our RAV looking adorable 含羞草研究社� for the next couple of weeks they含羞草研究社檙e at maximum cuteness 含羞草研究社� and there must have been almost 20 men and women picking them up and cuddling them.
含羞草研究社淲e were only there about 20 minutes, but I was enjoying watching the firefighters含羞草研究社� reaction, and it made my week. It was just awesome.含羞草研究社�
Von Sacken says that the crew loves Lytton for its people.
含羞草研究社淲e all chose to be here. And folks in Lytton have stepped up to help each other repeatedly since June 30 last year and do awesome things like bringing their puppies over to cheer us up after a long day. They are exactly the kind of people you want in your community.含羞草研究社�
Thorpe is happy that her puppies were able to help out.
含羞草研究社淲e wanted to do this for the firefighters, because they did so much for us last year, and continue to. I think about what they must be going through with the fire from last year and now this fire.
含羞草研究社淚 think animals are great therapy, and who doesn含羞草研究社檛 love a puppy?含羞草研究社�
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