A little Shaken up, but greatful!

[C&K]

I am a little shaken up about this evening, and just feel like airing my thoughts a little.

Today my significant other arrived home around 5:30, I was on the front porch with the kids, going through some odds and ends, when he started to tell me that once again, payroll screwed up his cheque. I was not to happy, but all of a sudden, out of nowhere, 2 fire trucks, an EMS vehicle, and two cruisers come blaring up our street and stop almost infront of our house. They walk up to a neighbours house (opposite side of the street, 2 doors down) and smash in the front door. Smoke starts billowing out of the home! We watched, stunned, in horror, the place is a triplex, one of the other tenants called it in I guess after smelling smoke, the owners where not home.

Then Animal control arrived at the scene. Three very nice dogs live there, that are friends with my dog. One officer walked over, and after 10 minutes, had still not come back. At that point, my husband and I where thinking, if the dogs where in the house, it is highly unlikely they survived, and we did not want the children seeing anything to horrible, so we asked the cruiser now blocking our street off if we could get out with our van, and left the area.

We came back hours later after sunset, all the activity was over with. I am still just thinking about how tragic this all is, I am just hoping that those dogs are ok, and thinking of things I can do for my neighbour. (I don't know his name, although I have talked to him a fair bit about the dogs). One dog in particular reminds me of my dog, is just a little smaller, she is a real doll and came to him as a stray, much as my dog arrived at Animal Control, so they share a common history, although I don't think they really are related.

I am hoping tomorrow to find out more, but also dreading it. Why does this sort of stuff have to happen?

 

[nonamian_girl]

Oh no :S. That's really horrible. The owners are going to be devastated.

Keep us posted.

 

[C&K]

I stayed up really late last night, and even when I went to bed it took forever to get to sleep

This morning, my prayers where answered! my 11 year old woke me up at 8:00am to let me know the dogs where ok! I asked him how he knew, and he told me the neighbour was by to borrow a hammer and crowbar to get back into his place, they boarded it up last night before they left, and he told him the dogs where fine. I leaped out of bed and stood out on my porch, tidying it up, which it needed badly, (I was doing that last night when the fire broke out but left when I was afraid animal control would be bringing out roasted dogs infront of my children because they where taking so long

Apparently, my neighbour left to go pick up his girlfriend from work, 1/2 hour round trip. He brought all the dogs with him, he says he normally does if he possibly can when he leaves the house. You would understand, this is very odd because these dogs are at least, 35, 50 and 70 pounds, not exactly small car dogs. Anyway, the smallest did not want to leave the house, (which was odd he said) but he dragged her out. I guess this guy is one of the last great dog lovers, at least in these parts, he seems to live and breath for them.

Animal services came in response to another neighbours concerns that there might be dogs inside, in the end, they fortunately where not needed and the tale has a somewhat happy ending

I was inside the place today. When the firefighters entered, they experienced a backdraft and flashover at opening the front door. the fire has totally destroyed the entire inside, it cracked all the windows it was so hot, melted the fire alarm off and into a pile of plastic. All of his work tools are gone, melted into a solid blob, he is a contractor, so this is a big deal for him. Other then that, everything else can be replaced, he truly did not have much, most of his furniture and belongings coming from thrift shops and such. Fortunately, he was storing a fair amount of clothing (all this summer stuff) at his mothers for lack of room, and most sentimental things are at his mothers too. Still though, he had a brand new bed and mattress, and paintings worth a fair amount. they are totally ruined.

He said that all that mattered where the dogs, and I am sure in time that is the truth, but when I saw him this afternoon, I think the shock was starting to settle in, he was packing up and going back to moms until tomorrow, maybe he just had one too many beer, he was drinking when I was talking to him at 8:00.

Basically he is a pretty colourful character, but has a very big and good heart. Maybe a little rough around the edges for some peoples tastes, but a good guy at the core, my heart aches for him, I have offered to help in whatever way I can, finding stuff, cleaning, anything, neither the landlord or himself had insurance. Funny enough, in all of this, I still did not get his name, I will make a point to do that tomorrow. Hopefully he will have some idea what assistance other organizations like Salvation Army can offer too by then.

In the end, I am just so relieved that by some miracle, the dogs where not home. There is no way on earth they would have survived.

On another note, he may be moving into the other end unit in the triplex, it apparently is vacant after the landlord finally got the crack / heroin users out. Very scary, this triplex has a way of attracting less then desirable neighbours. It was an electrical fire started in an outlet in a bedroom, the place came very very close to spreading to the next unit and burning to the ground. Had the fire department not arrived within minutes of when they did, it would have been much much worse.

 

[JennG]

What a happy ending at least for the dogs sake! I'm glad to hear that he dragged the third dog with him. And thank God for such great and dedicated firemen and the neighbors who were concerned to inform them that there may be animals in the place. I'm sorry he lost so much but it sounds like the best were saved from such a horrible fate.

 

[Carissa]

That's so good that the he took the dogs with him. It's strange that the small one didn't want to go, though. Maybe she knew something was wrong.

 

[C&K]

It's strange that the small one didn't want to go, though. Maybe she knew something was wrong.

I think she did.

And thank God for such great and dedicated firemen and the neighbors who were concerned to inform them that there may be animals in the place.

The firemen where awsome! Apparently they where constantly keeping an eye out for the dogs, thinking they may under furniture or in a cupboard. I am sure that they had to check all those places anyway to be sure the fire was out, but still, it sounds like they went the extra mile, and apparently, they where very very very relieved when the owners appeared with the dogs in tow!

I never even thought until now how that must be one of the sadder parts of being in Animal Control or a firefighter. I am sure that parished pets must be fairly common.