Many residents of Merritt that faced a sudden evacuation on Nov. 15 due to the rising waters of the Coldwater river were unfortunately forced to leave their pets behind as they fled to the nearby cities of Kamloops and Kelowna.
When it became clear that they would not be able to return to their homes anytime soon, or that their homes faced the threat of being flooded or washed away, people became frantic to rescue the pets that had been left behind.
Enter Merritt’s very own pet hero, Cst. David Feller.
Cst. Dave Feller with pet cats rescued from Merritt’s flood zone.
“Cst. David Feller of the Merritt RCMP has been working double-duty to reunite pets with families displaced by floods,” reads a statement from the Merritt RCMP Media Relations Officer, Sgt. Josh Roda.
“In between patrols and answering calls for service, Cst. Feller has been Merritt’s very own Pet Detective, saving pets from homes in evacuated areas… Cst. Feller has been busy rescuing birds, cats, lizards and hamsters from town as some home owners were unable pack their animals in the rush of evacuations.”
Local Facebook group, the Merritt Grapevine, was inundated with pleas for help with pet owners asking anyone who had stayed behind to attempt to rescue or even just to feed and water their animal family members.
“Cst. Feller reached out to residents through his own social media account and provided his personal contact information for anyone whose animals needed help,” said Roda.
“Merritt detachment has received generous donations of animal food and supplies from local businesses to allow Cst. Feller to keep saving more pets. Dave has been an amazing support to the community as we work through the floods. We are lucky to have him as a part of our close-knit team.”
Anyone requiring help for their animals or for questions about the evacuation order are encouraged to call Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.
