The Penticton-based Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT) has found itself on the receiving end of a substantial grant, thanks to the generosity of a local family foundation.

The Houston Family Foundation, founded by Jim and Jackie Lee Houston, recently granted $59,000 to ALERT. The non-profit organization is dedicated to animal welfare through emergency rescues. 

Animal lovers and philanthropists of charities during their lifetime, the Houstons passed down the foundation to their family members.

Tamara Cobbin, their daughter, was then offered the opportunity to search for places to donate the grant money. That's when she turned to her son and the Houstons' grandson, Holt Hair, for ideas.

Hair said he was inspired by ALERT and its mission after meeting the non-profit organization's president, Daryl Meyers.

"Until then, it hadn香蕉视频直播檛 occurred to me just what happens to people香蕉视频直播檚 pets and livestock when they must make the decision of what to pack up and what to leave behind during our frequent forest fire/flood/disaster evacuations," said Hair, who calls Penticton his home.

"After experiencing the fires in the Okanagan myself in my time living there, I knew this was a perfect fit," Cobbin added about the family foundation's donation. "Then after seeing the devastation in Palisades California, it cemented my desire to assist ALERT in aiding the animals and their owners in the Okanagan when disaster strikes."

ALERT is 100 per cent volunteer-based and located at 437 Martin St. in Penticton.

The non-profit group also assists people develop evacuation plans for their animals in preparation for wildfires, residential fires, flooding, and other disasters.

香蕉视频直播淚t was evident to us that after the fires in 2023 we needed to upgrade our response protocols, and this grant is making all this possible," Meyers said. "ALERT will be using some of the grant to outfit their command posts and purchase up-to-date technology including radios, satellite units, tablets, and a call-out system."