A man and his dog have been reunited after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires burned down their home and kept them apart for more than a year. Dominic escaped the Eaton Fire in January 2025 with his Labrador-mix dog, Blade, but after their Altadena property was reduced to rubble, he was forced to make a heartbreaking decision.
The fires, which tore through ritzy LA neighborhoods, left at least 31 dead and decimated 57,000 acres of land. Altadena was among the communities worst hit.
The Pasadena Humane, an animal shelter, explained in a Facebook post on April 27 that Dominic brought his pup for emergency boarding, hoping for a short-term solution as he searched for new housing. However, the search took months, and Blade became one of the many dogs that were housed at the shelter after the fire left them displaced.
The shelter did everything it could to make the puppy's stay as happy as possible. 'Over the weeks and months, we made sure Blade got lots of playtime, ample enrichment, and a ton of love,' wrote Pasadena Humane. 'The cuddly lab mix spent time in many of our offices (and snuggled with our call center staff on a regular basis).'
Without a place for Blade to live, Dominic brought him to the Pasadena Humane animal shelter. At the shelter Blade was busy being loved by the staff, going for walks, and ripping up cardboard boxes. 'He went for walks with our volunteers every day, visited our Shelter Shop for tasty snacks, and often participated in his favorite activity, ripping up cardboard boxes.'
Fifteen months after the fires, Dominic returned to the shelter in April to bring Blade to their new home. The shelter noted that everyone was teary-eyed watching the two reunite and added that it seemed like the happiest Blade had ever been. 'Dominic hugged and thanked our staff and volunteers who cared for his beloved pup, with Blade even squeezing into the middle of one hug just to be a part of it,' the shelter wrote.
Pasadena Humane was incredibly happy to send Blade off to start his new life. After roughly 15 months Dominic and Blade were reunited. The shelter said that it appeared to be the happiest that the dog ever looked.
The heartwarming moment struck a chord with several users online, who shared how touching it was. One user wrote: 'I am not crying... This is what makes it nothing like the other shelters, you do it because you care. Thank you for making this possible. Enjoy your life, Blade.' Another added: 'Huge kudos to Dominic for hanging in there. Too many people relinquish. Dominic never gave up. Of course, thank you to the volunteers and Pasadena Humane for hanging in there. Wishing this bonded pair forever happiness.' A third wrote: 'So great to hear!! Best wishes for your new chapter, Dominic & Blade. Thank you, Pasadena Humane, for all you do!! I adopted my girl from you years ago.'
