Matt Zagami and his family returned to their home in Wairewa, Australia after the wildfire completely destroyed their property. Everyone was devastated upon seeing that they lost everything in just one hit. Matt said that it was saddening enough to lose their farm. It was even worse to see their house and everything else gone.
However, as it turned out, the Zagami family did not lose it all. While they were assessing the damage, OJ, the golden retriever, found something dear to him. It was his stuffed toy that unbelievably survived the blaze. OJ could not be happier with their reunion.
“OJ” returned to his Wairewa home today that was completely destroyed by fire. He found his favourite stuffed toy in the rubble. #vicfires @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/bg8jL8SH3F
— Louisa Cheatley (@LouisaCheatley) January 14, 2020
Aside from the pup’s beloved toy, Katie Zagami’s bridal gown survived the wildfire too. These small silver linings made the family feel so grateful at such a trying time. However, understandably, they do not make the process of recovery any easier. Matt said that every hour, every day, they see reminders of what they have lost. That makes it very difficult for them to be there and look at everything.
The town’s fire brigade said that the house of the Zagami family was only out of the eleven homes that were destroyed in Wairewa. Fortunately, the people in the community were able to evacuate in time. Because of that, no one suffered from severe injuries, and no lives were lost.
This is OJ. After safely evacuating, him and his family returned to their home in Wairewa, Australia yesterday to find it entirely destroyed by the fires. But amongst the rubble, OJ found his favorite toy had survived. 14/10 never letting it go again pic.twitter.com/gx3d0P5349
— WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) January 15, 2020
The Wairewa Fire Brigade also noted on their Facebook post that after the incident, everyone helped in cleaning up the neighborhood. The people were there to support each other too. Although they were shaken and exhausted, the fire brigade said that the people were doing fine.
It may not seem that much, but for families that have gone through such devastation, seeing small reminders can already bring a bit of comfort. That is the reason why the story of OJ’s reunion with his best friend has gone a long way.
Credit: Louisa Cheatley, WeRateDogs