An online campaign has raised nearly $50,000 to rebuild a home for Barbara Garcia, the woman whose dog emerged from the rubble on TV, after a tornado tore through her hometown of Moore, Okla.
Erin DeRuggiero started a campaign called "Build Barbara Garcia a Home" on GoFundMe eight days ago, aiming to rake in $100,000. Just over a week later, more than 1,200 people have contributed.
"I've often felt completely helpless when things like this happen," DeRuggiero wrote to Mashable in an email. "Sitting and watching homes and cars floating away when Katrina and Sandy hit, the tsunami in Japan. When I saw the initial CBS video of Barbara and Bowser a friend had posted on Facebook, I was immediately moved to take action. Unlike coverage of the other natural disasters I mentioned, this time I had a name, Barbara Garcia. I had the geeky social media skills to try and track down the producers of that segment so I could let this woman know I wanted to help."
According to DeRuggiero, the average home price in Moore for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is $134,000. Garcia was uninsured, so she's starting over from nothing.
In case you missed the moving clip in which Garcia's dog emerges from the rubble, you can watch it here now:
Others supported a campaign for Garcia on Fundly, although it has only raised $800.