Cd'A canine comforts wildfire evacuees

Inside Spokane’s downtown convention center Monday morning, a fluffy golden retriever from Coeur d’Alene panted and smiled amid a frenzy of wildfire evacuees constantly checking their phones or asking American Red Cross volunteers for status updates on their neighborhoods.

Fisher, wearing a blue vest harness that read “please pet me,” intercepted both children and adults for hugs and playtime, if not just a short break from the stress of being displaced. Kids with frazzled hairdos stroked Fisher’s back as their parents, simply wondering when they’ll go home, looked on with faint smiles.

“For me, it’s another animal,” said Spokane resident Jeff Kyser, who motioned to his daughters petting Fisher. “To them, they love the golden retriever. She likes to come out and see them.”

As of Monday, major wildfires in the Spokane area burned 8,000 acres and destroyed 700 structures since igniting this past weekend. Around noon Saturday, Jeff, wife Charlee, two young daughters Avery and Lysan, and their three cats packed into a supermini Ford Fiesta and evacuated their North Central neighborhood home.

They sought refuge at the Spokane Convention Center, which has been converted into an emergency shelter by the American Red Cross.

“We had a bag ready to go in 10 minutes, and we were out a couple minutes later,” Jeff said. “We weren’t expecting it to spread that fast.”

Since then, the Kysers have slept on cots. They eat donated foods, including pizza lunches and healthy snacks. Their cats stay in crates beside their makeshift beds, according to Jeff. Whenever they can escape the large sleeping area, which is usually amplified with wildfire update feeds to people’s phones, Avery and Lysan are outside petting Fisher.

“They’ve been with us the entire time, too,” Jeff said of his kids. “So, they’re going stir crazy.” 

Fisher is a Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog based at the Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene. Bringing love, compassion and the message of Jesus, one main objective of Fisher and her handlers is to help people during their time of need.

Joined by another comfort dog, Isaac, the furry canines have been at the convention center keeping evacuees company since Sunday. According to handler Julie Blyckert, the dogs have received pets from a mix of about 75 children and adults up until Monday morning.

“People often don’t think about the stress they’ve been under,” Blyckert said. “Sometimes, you just need to pet a dog and not talk to a person.”

The Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry launched in August 2008 and has over 130 golden retrievers active in over 27 states.

According to Blyckert, Fisher is one of a kind. 

“She’s the only one in Idaho right now,” she said.

Mina Ebrahimi and Mehdi Mahmoodzadeh were also sheltered at the convention center Monday. Mina, with emotion building in her eyes, held her hands to her cheeks as she watched their young ones, Eileen and Aida, play with Fisher.

“The dog and some toys they bring here, that helps us,” Mahmoodzadeh said. “They keep the kids busy”

Mahmoodzadeh said they needed to evacuate their home in Indian Trail. Currently caught in the crossfire between the Old Trails and Autumn Lane fires, it is one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in the northwest Spokane region.

It could be worse, according to Mahmoodzadeh. They moved to a new house less than two years ago. Their current house is still intact. But their old house down Indian Trail Road?

“The whole neighborhood was destroyed,” Mahmoodzadeh said.

As of early Monday afternoon, many roads in the northwest Spokane area were blockaded by Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Washington National Guard. Every five minutes or so, Transall C-160 planes used by the United States Forest Service cruised above wildfire-affected areas of the city.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown on Monday said it will be “days” if not “weeks” until all persons displaced by the wildfires can return to their homes. It was also reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was coming to Spokane to assist with wildfire relief efforts.

As his daughters continued to play with Fisher, Jeff, with his house still at risk, said, "I just want to be able to go home, take a shower and sleep.”

    From left, Eileen Mahmoodzadeh and Avery Kyser play with Fisher, a comfort dog from Coeur d'Alene, at the Spokane Convention Center on Monday.
  

    Members of the Washington National Guard and Spokane County Sheriff's Office converse with each other while conducting a blockade at West Waikiki Road just before Saint George's School in northwest Spokane on Monday.
  

 
  

    Wildfire smoke covers Spokane on Monday.