Pilot Keith Mann didn’t think twice to break the rules and load his plane with more than 40 furry friends, after they spent a few days north of the fire-ravaged Fort McMurray.
More than 80,000 Fort McMurray residents were ordered to flee last Tuesday, leaving many without their pets as they were barred from re-entering the city due to the advancing wildfire.
Since then, owners and their fur babies have begun to reunite through ongoing animal rescue efforts after the flames subsided.
Mann, Suncor Energy’s manager of flight operations, said it just made sense to fly his load of critters down south after they sought refuge north of Fort McMurray.
“We’re all animal lovers here,” Mann said. “We knew it was important for owners to re-connect with them.”