Pet owner returns to his home after LA wildfires and is left in tears at what he discovers
Although most of the news coming out of Los Angeles at the moment is sombre, to say the least, there have been a few soul-stirring stories emerging too.
Locals have been navigating apocalyptic scenes since the wildfires, which have so far claimed the lives of 24 people, erupted on 7 January.
A string of celebrities are among those who have lost their homes, while entire neighbourhoods have been decimated by the ongoing flames.
But among all the devastation, we've seen some touching moments of human kindness - such as NBC reporter Robert Kovacik taking custody of a man's beloved paintings while he evacuated.
Advert
Communities have been rallying together to assist those in need, with locals raising more than $800,000 to help a local sports hero rebuild his life after he 'lost everything'.
And now, people have been left sobbing once again after footage of a pet owner returning home went viral on X.
Casey Colvin had been desperately trying to get back to his home in the Palisades - which is one of the worst affected areas - to track down his two dogs.
He wasn't at the property when evacuations in the area began, however, his beloved animals named Oreo and Tika Tika Tika were still inside.
The US man was seen weeping as he spoke to NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz, explaining that he was struggling to get past roadblocks.
Colvin told the reporter through floods of tears: "I literally rescued them [the dogs] off the street, they deserve better than this. How do I get to my house?!"
In an Instagram post detailing his dilemma, Kreutz explained that a heroic firefighter saw their emotional exchange and 'came to help', offering to go and search Colvin's home to find his dogs.
"At that time, Casey’s home had not burned and shortly after, the firefighter returned to the staging area with Tika Tika Tika," the journalist wrote.
"We were there as Casey reunited with his sweet girl," she added. "But Oreo, a rescue who Casey says is behavioural, apparently ran out of the house and is now missing."
Hours later, Colvin's property had 'burned to the ground', with Kreutz saying that both dogs would have been 'trapped inside' if it wasn't for the brave actions of the firefighter.
What followed was five agonising days for Colvin, which saw him scour his scorched neighbourhood while handing out flyers as he frantically searched for little Oreo.
Thankfully, a passerby later spotted the pup nestled among the debris and rubble of his property and the owner rushed over to collect the dog.
In a touching video, a relieved Colvin can be seen calling out to an understandably wary Oreo from the edge of his fire-ravaged property.
"Oh my god, you're alive! You're alive! Thank you, God," the pet owner shouted while scooping up the animal into his arms and fist pumping the air, before he then thanked Kreutz.
The reporter later shared the footage online herself, dubbing Colvin and Oreo's reunion 'the best news'.
Social media users were in firm agreement and praised the owner's perseverance as well as the animal's resilience in such tragic circumstances.
One said: "Awwwww such a sweet moment. I’m glad they were able to be reunited."
Another wrote: "I would be right there with this guy, totally losing it and crying my eyes out if it were my dog. So happy for this man and his little pup!"
While a third added: "This could be the one thing that holds someone’s life together after such an immense tragedy. My heart is so full for this man I don’t even know. That dog survived the imaginable and ran straight to dad."
Olivia Burke