NORTHGLENN, Colo. (KMGH) — Thousands of people were evacuated suddenly on Thursday as the Marshall Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 structures. Another layer of devastation from the fire comes in the form of families who lost their pets in the chaos.
Angela Hacker, a veterinary technician, knows how much pets mean to people.
“I don't know where I'd be without my pets. I have severe depression... My cats, my dogs, they keep me going. They're the reason I get out of bed. I became a vet tech because animals have done so much for me that I wanted to give back to them somehow," said Hacker.
Hacker is also an artist who does pet portraits. When she saw the destruction caused by the fires in Boulder County, she knew she had to help.
“I would do a portrait for them if they had lost a pet in the fire," Hacker said, adding the portraits would be free of charge.
Hacker made a post on Facebook about the idea and was shocked by the amount of positive support she received. She hoped her offer would not seem trivial in the face of the trauma hundreds of families experienced.
“It's not going to bring anybody back. That's not going to fix everything. But, I was hoping that it would just be, going forward for them, a token that they knew somebody cared, and they weren't dealing with this by themselves," explained Hacker.
This story was originally reported by Colette Bordelon on thedenverchannel.com.
