Presumed dead, dog miraculously survived wildfire.

Missing Dog's Heartfelt Reunion With Family After The California Wildfire

For most people, pets are not just merely animals; they are a companion, best friends and most of all part of the family. So losing someone you love will surely crush your heart into pieces.

A wildfire in Northern California that blazed through the neighborhood of Katherine Weaver convinced her that her dog Izzy did not survive the fire. So, her son, Jack Weaver and Patrick Widen, his brother-in-law had the daunting task to walk around barricades, creeks and treacherous hill roads to recover the body of her beloved Izzy.

Jack Weaver and brother-in-law Patrick, with their dog Izzy.

When the men reached the narrow road's end, they saw the house; the fire destroyed the home, nothing was left. But to their surprise, a live Izzy suddenly came out from the rubble and was overjoyed to see Jack.

Jack at that time was filming the scene for his parents and captured the moment using his phone and uploaded it to Facebook. It immediately went viral and gave a bit of good news to everyone amidst of tragedy.

Izzy was a 9-year-old Bernese mountain dog. "She was delighted to see us," said Jack. She was clearly stressed and panting a lot.

Northern California wildfire left thousands homeless.

In the panic-stricken event to escape the wildfire, the Weaver's and many others were forced to flee and leave their pets behind as they couldn't be found or there was no time; they needed to evacuate with zero notice in the middle of the night. Still, there are thousands of people remained in shelters as fires wrath continued and authorities said it's not yet safe to return to their burned-out homes.

Communication signals were quite patchy, but eventually, Jack was able to call his mother, who was staying with their relatives in San Francisco Bay area.

“She just lost it,” Weaver said. “She went from being devastated about losing her home to the being the happiest person I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t get home fast enough. She was really, happy… She’s still shaken up by the whole thing, but she’s in much better spirits now that Izzy is at our house.”

Izzy, 9 year-old brave dog.

Pets who survived the inferno were assisted by animal care workers that provided medical care and food. A veterinarian said Izzy was fine, likely insulated from the fire’s intense heat by her thick fur coat.

For Jack, his priority was to tell his mother that their beloved Izzy survived.

“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.”

- Dean Koontz (author, Whispers)