Furtastic Series Banner

Camp Fire survivor elated to find dog waiting at their burned down house

Madison the miracle dog.
 By 
Kellen Beck
 on 
Camp Fire survivor elated to find dog waiting at their burned down house
A business that was destroyed by the Camp Fire continues to smolder on November 9, 2018 in Paradise, California. Credit: justin sullivan / Getty Images

When Andrea Gaylord was forced to evacuate the devastating Camp Fire in Northern California in November, she couldn't get back home to take her dog Madison with her to safety as the fires spread.

The evacuation order was lifted nearly a month after it was instated in Paradise, California, and Gaylord was beside herself to see Madison waiting for her as she pulled up to her burned down property, Gaylord told the ABC 10 news.

Madison miraculously survived the Camp Fire that tore through Northern California throughout November, killing 85 people, displacing thousands, and leaving many, including Gaylord, homeless.

The animal rescue group K9 Paw Print Rescue tried to find Madison, an Anatolian shepherd mix, but were unsuccessful for weeks, only able to glimpse him from a distance a couple of times, according to a Facebook comment posted by rescuer Shayla Sullivan. Although they couldn't get a hold of Madison, K9 Paw Print Rescue did manage to find Madison's brother Miguel, who had found his way to a nearby city.

Sullivan noted that although she never got close to Madison, she would leave food and water out for the dog, and even put a piece of clothing that smelled like Gaylord on the property for Madison to smell.

Gaylord, of course, was overwhelmed to see Madison waiting there, protecting what was left of their home, and happy to see him reunited with his brother Miguel.

“You could never ask for better animals,” Gaylord told ABC 10.

h/t The Washington Post

Topics Animals

Mashable Image
Kellen Beck

Kellen is a science reporter at Mashable, covering space, environmentalism, sustainability, and future tech. Previously, Kellen has covered entertainment, gaming, esports, and consumer tech at Mashable. Follow him on Twitter @Kellenbeck

Mashable Potato

More from Furtastic
The most popular dog names of 2018 are, as predicted, very adorbs
By Mashable Video
The most popular dog names of 2018 are, as predicted, very adorbs

Bees with sensor backpacks may help farmers monitor crops
By Mashable Video
Bees with sensor backpacks may help farmers monitor crops

The Furbo pet camera is on sale for $114 off at Amazon — the same exact deal we saw on Black Friday
By Mashable Deals
Original image replaced with Mashable logo

Squirrel jumps on top of UPS driver's head and he's surprisingly chill about it
Squirrel jumps on top of UPS driver's head and he's surprisingly chill about it

Roger, the internet famous bucket crushing kangaroo, has died
Original image replaced with Mashable logo

Recommended For You

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 2, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!