In May 2024, two cats named Boo and Smokey miraculously survived a fire in Dandenong that completely destroyed their home. And thanks to overwhelming community support including national news coverage, they have made a full recovery.
Dwayne Ariss, a single dad, said the day had started out like any other.
“I was having a coffee watching the morning news, and my son Ryan was in the shower getting ready for school,” Dwayne said.
Dwayne and Ryan were distraught thinking that their beloved cats, who they had rescued and bottle fed as stray kittens, had not made it.
But when they returned the next day, they found Boo and Smokey amidst the rubble - alive.
"I couldn't believe it," Dwayne said. "The ceiling had collapsed on top of Boo, and he was underneath it in the sink, badly burned but still alive. When I lifted the rubble away he let out a little meow as if saying 'Daddy I'm hurt'. His paws, ears and whiskers were all burned. We found Smokey under the bonnet of my car. The little fellahs deserved to live, so we took them straight to the vet.”
While Smokey came out relatively unscathed, Boo needed urgent treatment for the severe burns to his paws and faced a long road to recovery.
We stepped up to call on the community to help raise the $6,000 needed to cover the full extent of the emergency vet costs, and the response was overwhelming. Their story was even featured on Nine News and The Today Show!
Not only did the donations cover the extensive vet costs, they also helped to cover temporary pet-friendly accommodation for three weeks so that the family could be together while they worked out their next steps.
Dwayne was incredibly grateful to Pets Of The Homeless and the community for rallying to support them.
"I can't express how much it means to us," he said.
