The owner of five puppies taken home by a group of B.C. firefighters who believed they were in need of rescue would like the dogs to be returned.
Heidi Lang told Castanet that the pups were scooped up from a road that goes through her farm land, in a spot she says was about 500 metres from her home.
The firefighters spotted the dogs as they headed back from the Monashee Complex in the Kamloops Fire Centre, an area of the North Okanagan where more than a dozen wildfires are burning.
A Facebook post from the BC Wildfire Service said the dogs appeared to be alone on the side of the road, and that there were no houses or properties in the area that the pups could have wandered from.
They contacted local authorities and took the dogs with them, the post said.
"They are now being well fed and cared for, and the SPCA has been contacted," wildfire officials said. A request for comment from CTV News Monday afternoon has not yet been answered.
Within 13 hours, the post had been shared 2,400 times. Many commented that the photo and its subjects should be used for a calendar.
"I don't know which is sweeter, the puppies or the crew holding them. Thank you," one commenter wrote.
Another thanked firefighters for their compassion and their efforts to save all lives, including those of the canines.
Also on Sunday, officials posted that smoke in the Kamloops area continues to challenge firefighters' response. Sharing a photo taken from NASA Worldview, the BC Wildfire Service wrote, "Reduced visibility inhibits the ability to detect new fires and restricts and limits the use of aircraft."
A province-wide state of emergency has been in effect since Aug. 15. The latest information on ongoing wildfire efforts is available online.
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