Nana came to us for help. And we let her die.

She was just a baby—injured, exhausted, and clearly in distress. Nana pulled herself onto docks and swam toward people, looking for help. Over the course of three days, she was turned away by every organization meant to protect her.

I made nine separate phone calls to wildlife and marine rescue organizations. Not one of them helped.

BC Marine Mammal Response Network, 1-800-465-4336, DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca first said they’d come, then called me back and said that she is a freshwater otter so they can’t help. I told them I am waiting with her, and can you please come get her because she is in pain. They wouldn’t come. She suffered for 3 days until she died. She would pull herself up to the fountain at the Port and drink water then pull herself back under the log for safety. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said they were en route—but never arrived.

I went home and got a kennel and some fish and waited until almost 10 PM at the waterfront, hoping Nana would return so I could transport her to North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre—the only rescue willing to help. But she never came back. She slipped into the ocean, alone, and likely died at sea.

Why?

Because they said she was a freshwater otter.

Even though she was in salt water.

Even though she lived among marine life.

Even though she was clearly suffering.

This petition demands immediate action and reform:

Create emergency wildlife policy allowing any visibly injured otter—regardless of species—to receive immediate rescue if found in marine environments.
Eliminate species classification loopholes that delay or deny rescue.
Improve collaboration and communication among BC’s marine and land-based wildlife agencies.

Nana’s story is one of resilience, innocence, and a desperate plea for help. Her name, Nana, is derived from the word nanamuks, meaning “land otter” in the language of the Kathlamet People.

Let her name stand for the animals we refuse to abandon again. Let her name be the beginning of a better system.