Canadian North Nabs PETA Award for Flying Evacuees’ Animal Companions, Too

Dogs and Cats Travel Safely in the Cabin as Families Flee the Fort McMurray Wildfires

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2016

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

In recent weeks, Canadian North has operated hundreds of extra flights to help thousands of people—and their animal companions—comply with the mandatory Fort McMurray evacuation order. To help families stick together, Canadian North is allowing dogs, cats, and other animals to travel with their guardians in the airplanes’ main cabins—a move that has landed the Alberta airline a Compassionate Business Award from PETA.

“Canadian North is doing everything in its power to make sure that animal evacuees make it to safety right alongside their human guardians,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “At a time when so many Fort McMurray families have lost absolutely everything, PETA calls on all airlines to follow Canadian North’s example of compassion.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—offers the following tips for evacuating with companion animals:

• Never leave companion animals behind to fend for themselves.
• Know your destination ahead of time. Call shelters and motels in advance, and find out which ones will accommodate you and your animals.
• Never leave animals unsupervised in a car—they can panic and try to escape or suffer from heatstroke once ambient temperatures rise above 70 degrees, even if water is available and the windows are slightly open.
• Place small animals in secure carriers. Dogs should be leashed with harnesses. Take water and food bowls, your animal’s favorite toy or blanket, a towel, and enough food for at least one week.
• Make sure that dogs and cats are microchipped, and attach legible ID tags with your phone number on them so that your animal companions can be found if they get separated from you.Canadian North will receive a framed certificate and box of delicious vegan chocolates from PETA.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.