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CNN Sunday Morning

Animals Help Fight Colorado Fires

Aired June 16, 2002 - 11:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's slow but there is some progress as crews battle the huge wildfire just outside of Denver. The blaze is now 35 percent surrounded. So far, 102,000 acres have burned. More than 5,000 people have been evacuated and 25 homes have been destroyed.

But humans aren't the only ones feeling the effects of the fire. CNN's Charles Molineaux gives us a look at efforts to help the animals.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the forest fire relief effort, Jar-Jar (ph) is donating some talent for singing, dancing, mischief and comic relief, part of a menagerie of animals evacuated from the path of the Hayman fire.

The Douglas and Jefferson County fair grounds are usually venues for horse shows and rodeos, but today they're an emergency hideout for a Noah's Ark of yes, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ducks, llamas, ponies, burrows, and hundreds of horses.

Mike Shanahan and the Jefferson County Horse Council have turned years of painful experience with forest fires and animals into a plan for sheltering them. The idea is to take a big load off animal owners' minds with the promise of free lodging and some tender loving care.

JOHN MAULSBY, STATE VETERINARIAN: All these people that have animals, they're attached to them and they just, you're in a situation where you know they have to be moved and it is stressful on everyone.

MOLINEAUX: Just ask Connie Hackathorn.

CONNIE HACKATHORN, OWNER: Getting the horses in. I practiced loading the little puppies and then when they smelled that smoke, they all decided we're not going in that trailer, so we had a little battle. I got a concussion and one of them got hurt but got them all in and got them out of there.

MOLINEAUX: The Jefferson County plan has become a guide in other counties affected by the Hayman fire, which are now dealing with their own waves of animal refugees. MOLINEAUX (on camera): Jefferson County's got some 30 people ready and willing to work with the animals. There's been no shortage of volunteers. The calls started coming in as soon as word about the animal evacuees came in. It seems there is no shortage of animal lovers out there who want to help.

(voice-over): Nancy Kananwisher is one of them. She brought her horse, goats and llama in from the high country and signed on as a volunteer herself when she saw, or rather smelled, that it was time to move.

NANCY KANENWISHER, OWNER: Smoke kind of makes your stomach turn because you could lose your home. I knew that I could come down here and there would be a safe haven for all my animals.

MOLINEAUX: It's a haven which could be in for a lot of business. Saturday, June 15, marks the official beginning of Colorado's forest fire season and this is already the third time this year this shelter has taken animals in.

Charles Molineaux, CNN, Jefferson County, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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