When wildfires hit Spokane, Washington, Donna Carberry's home was in danger. She had lost her sense of smell from COVID-19, so she didn't realize her house was already burning. Luckily, her dog, Shadow, was there to help.
Shadow's Quick Thinking
Shadow, a three-year-old German Shepherd, tried to warn Carberry. When she didn't understand, he started slamming his body into the back door. This made her go investigate.
"By the time I got there and I opened the door up, my barn had already burned down," Carberry said. The fire was spreading up her back steps and burning the side of her house.
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Carberry knew she had to leave, but she couldn't catch her cat, Socksy. Again, Shadow stepped in. He gently put his paw on the cat, allowing Carberry to pick Socksy up and carry him to safety.
As they left, Carberry saw more destruction. "Everything was on fire," she said. "My truck and horse trailer burned up in the driveway 'cause there was no time."
Help Arrives
Some neighbors saw Carberry struggling and helped her, Shadow, and Socksy get to a safer road. She waited there, but then a stranger evacuating horses stopped to ask how long she'd been there.
"I said, 'since noon on Saturday,'" Carberry recalled. The stranger replied, "'Honey, it’s 8:00 on Sunday night.'"
The woman then drove Carberry and her pets to a Red Cross relief center.
Carberry had fallen during the evacuation and needed medical care. She would be in a wheelchair temporarily, making it hard to care for her pets. A neighbor took Socksy, and the Best Friends Animal Society stepped in to care for Shadow.
The nonprofit is leading the animal response for the Washington State Pet Task Force. They are caring for Shadow while Carberry recovers, making sure he gets any vet care he needs. They also helped Carberry and Shadow find a safe place to stay while they rebuild their lives.
"Best Friends stepped up and stepped in and started taking care of Shadow for me," Carberry said in a video. "By … taking care of him, you’re taking care of me."
"I don’t care about my stuff," she added. "I just care about [Shadow]."
