Deaf Senior Dog Sleeps Through Fire Evacuation And Gets Left Behind At LA Shelter

When wildfires tore through Los Angeles, everything turned upside down. People had no choice but to pack up and run.

It wasn’t just humans in danger. Countless animals were caught in the middle of it all, unsure of what was happening or where they’d end up.

One animal shelter in the area found themselves racing against the clock. They got a sudden warning: the fire was getting too close, and the shelter staff had just thirty minutes to evacuate their dogs.

Sixty dogs. Thirty minutes. No time to waste.

It was pure chaos. Dogs were barking like crazy, people were rushing around trying to grab leashes, and everyone’s heart was racing with smoke getting closer.

Every second counted. Everyone was doing their best, trying to stay calm while moving as fast as possible.

But in the middle of all that noise and fear, one little soul stayed perfectly still. His name was Henree.

Henree was an older dog, already living a bit more slowly than the others. He was also deaf.

So, while the other pups barked and whined, Henree sat quietly in his kennel, totally unaware of the panic happening around him.

He didn’t hear the yelling. He didn’t hear the barking. He just sat there, probably wondering why his nap got cut short.

That silence, unfortunately, caused him to be overlooked. As the trucks rolled out and volunteers rushed to safety with as many dogs as they could, Henree was left behind. Alone.

When the shelter team realized their heartbreaking mistake, their hearts sank. Henree had been forgotten, and the fire danger hadn’t gone away.

They were desperate to get help and immediately reached out to local rescues. Thankfully, the rescue group Starts With One Today got word and jumped into action.

Their team showed up first thing in the morning, and when they walked in, they found Henree standing at his kennel door, finally barking.

He was confused, scared, and hoping someone had come for him. He had made it through the night alone, but he wasn’t feeling great. The smoke had gotten to him.

Rescuers rushed him to the vet, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and checked all over.

Henree stayed in the hospital for some time. He was an older dog and needed time to heal, as the animal fundraising platform CUDDLY explained on Facebook:

“Henree suffered severe smoke inhalation putting immense stress on his lungs. He was also dealing with a nasty case of Giardia, an intestinal parasite. Due to his age, he was healing slowly, but given all he’d been through, he was in excellent spirits.”

But Henree’s a tough little guy. He might be older and deaf, but he’s got a fighter’s spirit.

With some meds, plenty of rest, and lots of love, he started bouncing back. Day by day, he got stronger, and before long, he was back to feeling like himself again.

That’s when Dillon and Olivia entered the picture. When they heard about Henree’s story, they couldn’t get him off their minds.

They signed up to foster him, but well… let’s just say Henree worked his magic fast and became a foster fail.

Cuddly shared:

“It was no shock that his foster parents immediately fell head-over-heels in love with him! It didn’t take long for them to be unable to imagine their lives without him, so they decided to make things permanent.”

Today, that wildfire is nothing more than a memory, just a chapter he’s left behind. Henree’s living the good life now.

He spends his days chilling at his dad’s shop, soaking up attention from customers, going on peaceful little strolls, and curling up for naps in all his favorite cozy spots.

For a dog who once slept through chaos, he now naps in peace surrounded by all the love his heart could ever need.