Marc Heethuis-Dubois helplessly watched his vehicle burn down on the side of a Southern Alberta road on Monday evening after managing to escape with his two rescued cats.
Earlier that same evening, he was out on a call to pick up rescued stray cats in Lethbridge for the Irricana-based animal rescue, Boomer’s Haven—Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, which he opened earlier this year.
As the executive director of Boomer’s Haven, Dubois is the primary volunteer. He drove down to Lethbridge earlier on Monday to pick up three cats, but only ended up being able to rescue two.
About 30 minutes into his drive back to Irricana that evening, just south of the Village of Carmangay, his vehicle suddenly lost power. With the RPMs slowly declining, he coasted to a pullout where he could safely stop.
Still with his foot on the brake, his engine stopped running and he pondered how he would get home. Then, smoke appeared from the side of his hood.
In a panic, he hopped out of the vehicle and popped open the hood to find an orange glow. That glow quickly turned into flames.
He could feel the intense heat as sizzling and popping noises came from the engine as he went back to grab his phone and wallet. His focus immediately turned to getting the two cats out of the vehicle.
With his vehicle still in drive, his doors remained locked and he couldn’t get the back hatch of his SUV open. After switching his vehicle to park, the hatch still wouldn’t open. After several more tries, he finally got in.
With an overwhelming heat now coming from the front of the vehicle, he grabbed two kennels and ran.
Confusion and fear set in briefly about the empty kennel still in the vehicle, as he second guessed if he left behind an animal. When he turned to assess, the flames were too intense.
“The flames had come through the dash of the car, and now were just passing through the cabin so rapidly there would have been no chance for me to go back,” Dubois said.
He quickly realized the remaining kennel was empty and Dubois and the two cats were safe.
Another driver had seen the incident and called 911. Dubois said that didn’t sink in and the other driver assured him multiple times that emergency crews were on their way.
“All I could do was just stand in kind of horror and watch my only transportation and donations that were in there for animals, just go up in flames,” he said.
Trusting his GPS, he wasn’t entirely sure where he was. He said a key thing he took away from the experience was the importance of being aware of where you’re driving. He expressed his gratitude for the driver who pulled over to call 911, the emergency crews, and now the community that is rallying around him. While he’s still recovering mentally from the incident, he said it will take time.
“It's hard to grapple with knowing you're physically OK and wondering why your brain is not OK with it,” he said. “Your emotions are still so raw, even though you know logically you're OK.”
Emergency crews brought Dubois and the cats to the fire hall where they provided support until someone picked him up.
Boomer’s Haven now finds itself without a vehicle to get back on the road to help animals, something Dubois said is “unbearable.”
Not being someone who feels comfortable asking for help, he said he recognizes there’s a community around him that is stepping up to support the small volunteer-run Rescue. A GoFundMe page was set up for Boomer’s Haven to raise funds for a new vehicle.
While they’re able to lend a vehicle for a short time, this is not sustainable, Dubois said. It’s also unclear how long it will take to hear back from his insurance company.
“Even the night that I was still trying to make my way back home, we were receiving messages and voicemails for more help from people,” he said. “It continues every single day and I just can't help.”
In the meantime, Dubois is redirecting those seeking help to other rescue shelters also struggling for space, volunteers, and people to adopt.
“I can't do anything and it breaks my heart to be sidelined, waiting to get back out there to do anything,” Dubois said.
Boomer’s Haven currently has just over 80 animals in its care, which are primarily in foster care and supported through the Rescue with food and medical care. Since opening in February, they have helped around 200 animals, Dubois said.
To help out, find their GoFundMe page “For the love of animals, Help get us some new wheels”, or go to their website at bhars.org.
