FLORENCE, Colo. (KOAA) — Over 100 families have been displaced in Fremont County since the start of the wildfire along Highway 115, but a local park is providing a solution for their pets and livestock.
Pathfinder Park is transforming into a shelter for displaced people and their animals. The Community Animal Response Team has already found temporary homes for over 100 livestock and pets at the park.
News5 spoke to Heidi Boyd, who evacuated with 35 chickens, 15 ducks, and three goats. She was originally worried she would not have a place to keep her animals.
"Because of some horror stories I'd seen from past evacuations over the years with fires, we didn't even know if we'd be able to bring our dogs and cats," Boyd said, "Where we live, everybody's got a lot of acreage and a lot of property, and most people have some type of, at least a dog or a cat or some type of farm animal."
Once she received an evacuation notice, Boyd said relief set in. The response from the community has been immense, with more food donated for animals than for humans.
"There's been more food for the animals for sure, which is good. I mean, that's good. They can't go to the store. They can't go get it themselves!" Boyd said.
Young volunteer helpers from 4H are taking care of the animals.
"One of the 4H people told us if we wanted to go and help out, so we decided to go help out with food and water," 11-year-old Abe Verdonck said.
When News5 was at the shelter yesterday versus today, the setup had evolved. Panels usually reserved for the fair were brought out and assembled with wire to prepare for smaller animals like goats and sheep.
"Sometimes we are setting up pens in the thick of it, but we try to be prepared to the best we can," Kelsey Story said.
Boyd says the donations are endless. From cages to hay.
"She's loaning all these cages out to all of us who have chickens and ducks, which is amazing. Like it's made it so that they can all spread out and have enough space and not be completely stressed because of being in a crowded cage. So that's helped a ton," Boyd said.
The Community Animal Response Team is still expecting more animals as the days go on, including 17 horses. They tell me they are ready to keep housing and taking care of any displaced animals until further notice.
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