Man who rescued dog from ashes of LA home reveals pet’s tragic past

A dog owner—whose emotional reunion with his pet went viral five days after an LA wildfire burned down their home—has exclusively told Newsweek how he thinks the animal managed to survive.

Casey Colvin searched for his tiny Pomeranian, named Oreo, among the rubble and ashes of their burned-out neighborhood for the best part of a week. The dog had fled in fear during a chaotic rescue attempt by a firefighter, and Colvin feared Oreo may have died in the blaze or been killed by the smoke. But he kept searching and eventually found his beloved pet alive, with Colvin weeping for joy in a moment caught on camera.

Now, Colvin has said how Oreo’s tragic past as a “street dog” may have given him the skills he needed to survive, safe in the knowledge that his “father” would come to save him.

Why It Matters

Many animals, including pets and wildlife, have been killed in the blazes, with one nature center burning down before its animals could be saved. Thousands of pets were unintentionally left behind when owners were caught off-guard by the mandatory evacuations following the outbreak of the LA wildfires. It meant they were not allowed to return home to save their animals.

In the weeks that have followed, animal rescue operations run by charities or volunteers have been posting details of surviving pets that they’ve managed to recover, while owners have been searching for their animals and sharing flyers and posters of their missing animals.

There have been some dramatic rescues. One dog was found in the wreckage of an Eaton home, alive but in pain with badly burned paws. And Colvin’s story about how Oreo managed to survive may give some owners hope that they, too, could have a happy ending.

What To Know

Salesman Casey Colvin, 46, raced home from work as soon as he heard an inferno had broken out near his home in Pacific Palisades on January 7, in an attempt to rescue his two dogs. But officials would not let him approach the house due to the dangers, and news crews captured the moment a sobbing Colvin begged for help to rescue his “family”—Oreo and terrier Teeka Teeka.

Firefighter Brent Pascu took pity on Colvin and went to smash down the front door to break into the home before it was engulfed by flames; he managed to grab Teeka Teeka, but a terrified Oreo ran away from him and into the path of the approaching fire.

Colvin didn’t see Oreo again for almost a week, but he was eventually found unharmed, although his blond fur was covered in dirt and ash. The Animal Hope and Wellness organization shared footage of the reunion on its Instagram page, where it was viewed more than 9.4 million times:

The dramatic events were just the latest trauma to befall Oreo in his short life.

Colvin had adopted Oreo, who had been abused and abandoned and had been forced to live outside. The dog, who is now thought to be around 2 or 3 years old, was disease-ridden and covered in ticks. He required months of intensive veterinary treatment and medication to treat his hepatitis, which Colvin said the vet believes he contracted after “eating poop to survive.”

The dog was fearful of humans and had a number of behavioral issues. He is known to have been repeatedly adopted then given up in the past, and Colvin said he had to work hard to make Oreo trust him.

“I spent every day with him for the past six months, basically just making sure he was going to be OK since so many people were giving him up.” Eventually, his hard work paid off: “I was working with him to try and let him know that not all human beings are bad. I walked him daily, and he started sleeping with me and Teeka in the bed at night whereas he used to prefer to hide and sleep.”

Oreo “came to trust me as his father and now we have an unconditional love bond where he’s actually turned out to be the most sweet and loyal dog I’ve ever met,” Colvin said. “Oreo trusts me, and I love him unconditionally.”

During the search after the fire, Colvin’s hopes were raised by sightings of Oreo among the ruins. But the dog would run away from strangers, even when called by name.

Eventually, Colvin and Teeka Teeka spotted Oreo sitting at the top of a hill behind a metal gate that used to be part of a neighbor’s driveway.

“I was the only person who was able to get that animal to come down the hill,” Colvin said. The video of Oreo running into his owner’s arms moved millions when footage was shared on TV and online.

When asked whether Oreo seemed traumatized by his recent experiences, Colvin said: “Oreo is happy to be home. I don’t think he remembers the trauma. Remember, he’s a street dog.” The Pomeranian is thought to have used his skills to find water and forage for the food during the period when he was missing.

Colvin says he and his dogs are now staying in a canine-friendly hotel and are “navigating next steps like everyone else” who lost their homes. The dogs were thrilled to see each other again, with Colvin saying: “Oreo believes Teeka is his wife, [but] she’s not that into him!” Colvin had also adopted Teeka Teeka from a shelter, and she is thought to be aged around 8 or 9.

Rather than feeling defeated, Colvin is feeling hopeful for his future and is making big plans. “[I want to] buy a house on FHA [a Federal Housing Administration loan] … on as much land as possible on the outskirts of LA County so I can pay the house off as quickly as possible and flip the house to an animal hospital,” he told Newsweek. “I’ve had vets and vet techs offer their services on barter if we can house their larger animals like horses and llamas. I’m looking at a house right now on 3.5 acres. All we need is a decent fence!”

What People Are Saying

Colvin’s friend Corey Ford was so heartbroken to see his old grade-school buddy lose everything that he has launched a GoFundMe fundraising appeal to help him get back on his feet.

Ford told Newsweek: “Casey and I first talked the day after the fires, and his only focus was Oreo. But, in the back of mind, I knew no matter what happened with Oreo that he would soon have to face serious financial hardship. And if I could at least help create a little financial cushion to help his transition, it would certainly help.”

Ford said he fears Colvin’s sales “income will be severely affected since his customer base are businesses in that same area, dealing with the same horrible fallout of the fires.”

He added: “Casey is such a loyal friend, and he would do anything to help his friends so he really is deserving of all the support. I’ve been thrilled to see the donations come in.

“One lady gave $1,000 that I thought for sure knew Casey, but it turns out she didn’t and she was just inspired by the story. It just goes to show that, no matter what is going on in the world, human interest and feelgood stories will always resonate with people. And animals are our common denominators, no matter what social group we come from.”

The initial target was for $15,000 but, when that was comfortably surpassed, Ford doubled the hoped-for amount to $30,000. As of Monday morning, almost 600 people had donated and the total stood at more than $27,000.

What Happens Next

Colvin said he is giving Oreo and Teeka Teeka lots of playtime and cuddles in the wake of the disaster. He has set up new social-media accounts for each dog on Facebook after becoming inundated with requests for updates on the pair.

The GoFundMe appeal continues to raise donations from well-wishers keen to help the family move on from the tragedy. And Colvin said that hopes he’s a little closer to his dream of buying a property that he can turn into an animal hospital.

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