Australia’s wildlife has taken a tragic blow during the country’s devastating bushfires, but less often cited are the dogs, cats, and other domestic pets that have been affected by the fires.
When over 4,000 people, a minority of them locals and the rest tourists, found themselves trapped by the fires in the seaside town of Mallacoota during the holidays, the Australian Navy deployed the cargo ship HMAS Choules to rescue them. The ship ended up becoming a kind of “Noah’s Ark” by accommodating over 250 pets, mostly dogs, but also a few cats, a rabbit, and a bird.
