Wildfires in California‘s wine country have claimed at least 40 lives, and continue to burn despite firefighters’ attempts to contain them. Thousands of homes and businesses have been razed to the ground; the fires moved so quickly through Santa Rosa that many who tried to evacuate were trapped. One couple were forced to shelter in their neighbours pool for six hours as the blaze raged around them.
Basically it’s a horrible, shitty time for everyone in California at the moment, so here’s a story that will very likely make your peepers spring a spontaneous leak from pure pain-relieving joy.
The Weaver family were forced to evacuate their family home in a panic, without even time to change out of their pyjamas. In the rush, family dog Izzy, a Bernese mountain dog, ran away; her owners couldn’t risk going after her without putting their lives in danger.
Heartbroken, they left without her. Then on Friday, son Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick walked back up the mountain to visit the devastated property – and to look, they thought, for Izzy’s body.
Can you guess what happens next? Get a box of tissues, you’re gonna need them.
While their house had been completely destroyed, they rounded a corner on the road to see the best possible sight amongst all that ash and devastation: Izzy, bloody Izzy, bounding towards them.
Here, watch:
Jack Weaver said of the blessed reunion:
“It was one of the greatest moments of my life. She’s such a brave dog. She was panting a lot and clearly stressed. But she was not frantic or anything.”
A vet has examined Izzy and found that she’s pretty much totally fine, probably thanks to her thick coat, which insulated her from the fire.
And Weaver’s mum, who had feared the worst, is absolutely overjoyed to have her beloved doggo home, with Weaver saying:
She just lost it. She went from being devastated about losing her home to the being the happiest person I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t get home fast enough. She was really, really happy … She’s still shaken up by the whole thing, but she’s in much better spirits now that Izzy is at our house.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hug my puppy until I stop crying, which may be never. Good girl, Izzy. Good girl.
