Rising from the ashes

By Joanie Veitch - The Weekly News
After a fire destroyed his apartment, Dylan Jackman, owner of Jungle Pets in downtown Dartmouth, is still putting on a good show.
Up to his ears in phone and email messages as word continues to filter out that the fire that damaged Taj Mahal, CafÉ Chianti and Tomasino's in Halifax last week, also put Jackman and his partner Dominic Bolger out of a home, Jackman's keeping to his busy schedule of running a small business and taking care of an array of exotic pets to show at birthday parties.
"It's been hard because I haven't been able to be at the store the way I usually am, but with the birthday parties … I've got to keep it up. Now more than ever," Jackman said.
Looking at an online photo on the Chronicle Herald website the day following the fire, Jackman points to where the flames are bursting out of an upstairs window. "That was our apartment. We lost everything. All our belongings … the fish tank … it's all gone," he said.
Jackman had only lived in the apartment for a year and a half, following his move to Halifax from St. John's, NL, where he'd built a solid reputation as an exotic animal enthusiast and establishing an award-winning animal education business that he continues to operate.
Building on the animal education plan that brought him such success in Newfoundland, Jackman opened Jungle Pets on Queen Street in Dartmouth last April to sell exotic pets such as chinchillas, ferrets, blue-tongued skinks, pythons and boa constrictors, along with supplies for pet owners.
Less than a year into operation, when the fire struck his South Street residence last Tuesday morning, Jackman had been doing all his year-end reconciling on his home computer. He lost the works.
"We weren't in the apartment when the fire started and we haven't been able to go back since, but it looks like it's all gone. We're hoping to be able to go back in to see if we can salvage anything, but it doesn't look like there will be much of anything there," Jackman said.
As soon as Denise McKay, chair and adoption and rescue coordinator with the Ssafe Haven Society for Reptiles and Amphibians, a non-profit organization that provides rescue and rehabilitation, shelter, and adoption services for reptiles and amphibians, heard what had happened, she sprang into action, sending out mass emails requesting assistance for Jackman and Bolger.
"The blaze has consumed the apartment of two of my close friends, who are also valued members of Ssafe Haven Society for Reptiles and Amphibians. I would like to start a fund to help them get back on their feet and recover from this tragedy," McKay wrote.
Although Jackman said he's still feeling very overwhelmed by the events of the last week, he's been surprised at the number of people getting in touch and offering help.
"There are so many people calling the store, it's unbelievable. Adam's having to handle all that because I just can't be here right now," he said, referring to employee Adam Findley.
Jackman said he and Bolger hope to find a new home in Dartmouth, to be closer to his business. In the meantime they are living at Windsor Park in one of the military housing units.
For more information on how to offer assistance to Jackman, email Denise McKay at dryder@eastlink.ca. Find out more about Jungle Pets at www.nljungle.ca/halifax/index.html.
jveitch@ns.sympatico.ca