Every so often you encounter a story that really sticks with you. You find yourself reflecting on it as you’re going about your daily routines. You wonder, “Why did that happen? How can I help?” That’s what happened when I first heard about a young horse named Noel.

The Rescue of Belle and Sundance: A Miracle on Mount Renshaw, written by Birgit Stutz with Lawrence Scanlan, tells the true story of the incredible rescue effort launched by residents of McBride to save two packhorses abandoned on the slopes of Mount Renshaw, in Northeastern British Columbia. Belle and Sundance were discovered, imprisoned in six-foot-deep snow, on December 15, 2008. They were starving, freezing, and very close to death. Despite their appalling condition, the decision was made to try to save them.

At 7 a.m. on November 25, 2011, Libby Naylor, a Vancouver Island dressage trainer, and Heather Tryon were heading north from Errington, BC, trailering two horses to a Bonny Bonello clinic in Courtenay, BC. They were just ten minutes from home when disaster struck.

Severe fires in recent years have exposed humans and animals to unhealthy air containing wildfire smoke and particulates. These particulates can build up in the respiratory system, causing a number of health problems including burning eyes, runny noses, and illnesses such as bronchitis. They can also aggravate heart and lung diseases such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and asthma.