After a month of being displaced due to the devastating Camp Fire in Northern California, a woman had an emotional reunion with her beloved dog who was waiting for her at the remains of their home.
When Andrea Gaylord finally made it back to her home in Paradise to assess the damage, she was pleasantly surprised to find her beloved dog, Madison, waiting for her. The Anatolian shepherd mix had been left behind during the devastating wildfires that swept through the area, along with Gaylord’s other furry companion, Miguel. Unfortunately, Gaylord was unable to rescue them at the time due to evacuation restrictions. Thankfully, Madison managed to survive and was patiently waiting for her owner to return.
Gaylord believed that her dogs had survived the destructive wildfires which claimed 13,972 homes and killed 85 people. She sought the help of Shayla Sullivan, a local animal rescue volunteer who later found Miguel in Citrus Heights, located about 86 miles south of Paradise. Sullivan continued to search for Madison, whom she spotted “a couple times deep in the Canyon” on Facebook. To entice Madison, she even considered leaving a piece of Gaylord’s apparel on the property. A month after Gaylord escaped, she returned to her home to find Madison waiting anxiously for her and guarding their remaining property. This reunion between Madison and Gaylord is one of several optimistic pet reunions that have emerged from the destruction caused by the Camp Fire. Leahna Copsey’s home in Paradise was also destroyed by the wildfire, but when officials came to assess the damage, they discovered Ella, the family’s dog, keeping watch over the surviving house.
The Copsey family, just like Gaylord, faced the difficulty of not being able to go back home to their beloved pet dog after the evacuation was made mandatory. Fortunately, they were quick to inform animal control and the local police about their situation, who graciously took care of Ella by ensuring that she had enough food and water throughout the ordeal.