You will have read about the fires and seen pictures on the News programmes on TV.
This morning, I had the following email from a friend who now lives in Australia. It is one thing seeing the horrors on the news. It’s another altogether when you hear the personal story of the situation from a friend.
I warn you. Have a tissue ready. I cried the whole way through reading Jill’s email….
Hi friends,
I expect you will have heard about the terrible fires in Victoria, many of the people you met Dave and Mary*, have been caught up in this, and relatives of those you met whilst here Jenny** are having a very worrying time.
Yesterday we heard that two of our members had loaded their dogs and horses to get out when a fireball was upon them Mal and Faye got into an adjoining paddock and laid flat, miraculously the fire missed them but all their beloved dogs and horses were gone. Their house, stables, cars everything incinerated.
Further up the hill a Malamute breeder was trying to get everything together but they were trapped. He, his wife, two children and all their dogs are gone. Boarding kennels full of dogs completely burnt to the ground.
It is horrendous, one of Karen’s friend's (you would remember her Dave and Mary. She had dinner with us at Anne Bulke's place). She was seven months pregnant. She tried to get away from the flames carrying a wet blanket. Sadly her body was found under the blanket in the road a measly ten metres away from safety.
The dog community is pulling together to try to help but the danger is not over. Karen's sister lives in Hillsville and the fire is now threatening them. We heard today that she has evacuated and is safe at a relief centre.
The worst of all this is that the fires were deliberately lit. Those people are mass murderers. The death toll is expected to reach 200 but the loss of animals will be in the thousands.
Amanda*** and I were due to go over last weekend to run a DWD seminar, when we received a phone call telling us not to go. Little did we realise the horror that was about to unfold.
Keep all these people in your prayers and hope to see you all next year to tell you of the remarkable recovery of many of these people.
Cheers Jill
* Dave and Mary Ray have taken training courses for dogs and handlers in Australia.
** Jenny Lunn has also taken a training course quite recently.
***Amanda is Jill’s daughter.
Please spare some prayers for all the families and their animals that are suffering so dreadfully through this horrendous time.
I will let Jill know I have posted her email here, so if you would like to leave a comment, hopefully she may find the time to read it.
8 comments:
Oh Jane, what an horrific tragedy. Like you say, just seeing it on the news does not bring the reality home. This account will live with me. Hanging is not good enough for the culprits! Pen.
It is sad I know. A Friend on Facebook has disappeared off the site and her sister says it is because she and her family have been burned out also.
They ran a cattery and most if not all the cats have gone as well as a horse/pony that was the children's love and joy.
Times like these make even my problems seem so insignificant.
Loved the video by the way and know that mine also like jumping logs when we go to a certain reserve where logs have been laid across the paths to prevent motor cycles and four wheel drive vehicles using it.
Jane l found this link if anyone wants to offer help. Hope you do not mind my adding it. http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/melbourne_bushfiresoffer_help/index.html
A friend wrote to me with:
"Totally heart breaking. I cried all the way through Jill's email.
As for the arsonists who start these fires I would happily douse them in petrol and throw a match at them. That's what they deserve.
Jean, Brodie and Mophead"
Jane l have linked to your blog/post.
Thank you Vetnurse for leaving the link. I couldn't get the link up at first. So if anyone finds they can't as they have only half the URL, copy the link Vetnurse put up, then after the word '-bushfireoffer_' copy and add:
'help/index.html' without the quotes.
From Sylvia: Oh my God,...what a horrible thing to happen. I am saddened beyond belief for these people and their animals. It is horrific to think these fires were set deliberately. There is truly an evil in this world which manifests itself through persons who commit these atrocities. In the States, I believe CA. there have been a series of fires last week where whole streets have been burned to the ground...with some loss of life. These fires were also deliberately set. I weep for those who are effected in any way by these evil acts and feel that we as a human race have to find a way to combat this type of behaviour. How are we raising our children?...these people must have been someone's little baby once
Thanks for the post Jane. Will circulate the link. Have replied on Vetnurse's so won't repeat it here. As for arson, another form of criminal damage that even at is basic, non life threatening level, I could never understand.
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