Tim Savinkoff has made it his mission to help find good homes for abandoned dogs on the Coast. Now he needs a home himself, after a fire destroyed his trailer and all his belongings last week.
Savinkoff has worked full time for the Sunshine Coast SPCA for the past six years as an animal care attendant and part-time animal control officer.
Recently he took some time off work and was away house sitting for a friend in Halfmoon Bay March 20 when the fire started in the travel trailer he was living in on North Road. A neighbour reported the blaze to the fire department at about 3:45 p.m. and firefighters arrived on scene in four minutes. "It was burned to the floor boards and pretty much gone by the time we got there," said Gibsons fire chief Bob Stevens.
No one was able to reach Savinkoff to advise him of the fire until the next morning.
"I didn't find out until my landlord called me the next day at work," said Savinkoff, who has no fire insurance.
After realizing the trailer was completely destroyed, Savinkoff said he planned to buy a tent to live in for the summer with his two dogs Yuki and Kodo, but his friend Leigh Golby said, "There's no way we're going to let him live in a tent."Golby and her husband Dale own Castle Rock Kennels. They see Savinkoff weekly when he comes in to help care for their dogs.
"He's basically devoted his life to looking after dogs. He's a very good person and he leads a simple life. He's not a material guy. Not selfish at all. He never had much, but all that he had is now gone. I will do what I can to help him because he's one of those rare people who is really selfless," said Golby.
She has set up a donation drive called Twoonies for Tim.
She plans to have a Twoonies for Tim donation tin at her business in Roberts Creek at 3113 Sunshine Coast Hwy. And she's looking into placing the Twoonies for Tim donation tins in schools and various businesses around the Coast. Savinkoff was amazed when he heard what Golby was planning.
"I don't think anyone who doesn't know me would donate a twoonie, but if you know me and you have a twoonie you'd like to donate, that would be nice," he said.
He also notes if anyone has a large tent for sale at a reasonable price they can email him at [email protected].
"I'm at my friend's house-sitting until April 12 and then I hope to have something set up here again," he said. "I still have water and electricity as far as I know. My landlord's been really good and he said I could stay if I can find a new arrangement. It's really hard to find a place to rent on the Coast with two dogs."
He's had his dogs for about 10 years now and he says they helped him get over the initial devastation of realizing his home, collection of books from around the world, heirlooms, personal items and appliances were lost in the blaze.
"They didn't even care about it. They came here and looked at it and were like 'okay, let's go for a walk,' and that's been really helpful. They help me get over it because it is just a bunch of stuff. We're okay," he said.
The cause of the fire could not be determined by the Gibsons Fire Department because there was "too much damage to the structure."
"It's hard to tell what the cause was, but it could have been an electrical short. That's sort of what we're leaning to, but officially the cause of the fire is undetermined," said Stevens.
If you would like more information about Twoonies for Tim, contact Golby at 604-885-9840.
