Golden Retriever Discovers His Favorite Toy Survived the Australian Fire
Source © Shutterstock
The recent fires in Australia have been a tragedy that have impacted an untold number of lives. Though this natural disaster has been tumultuous, there are a few silver linings that have come from the destruction. At a time like this it can help to focus on the good things that have come out of this tragedy. There has been a coalition between countries in order to get the fires put out. Firefighters from all over the world have joined Australia in helping to quell the destruction. As things are starting to get back to normal, the survivors of the fire have to assess what has been lost. One of the nice stories that has recently come out is that of OJ the golden retriever, who found his favorite toy had not been destroyed in the fire. There is hope that wonderful occurrences like this will help morale during the rebuilding process.
As any dog owner knows, canines can grow particularly attached to their toy of choice. This is why it is so important that owners make special considerations for their favorite toy. It appears that OJ’s family was in a rush to leave. The flames were soon to be bearing down on their home and there was little time to gather important belongings. One of the things that got lost in the shuffle was OJ’s favorite toy – a stuffed animal that was showing plenty of wear and tear. Perhaps his family did not understand the full significance of the toy to the precocious little pup. Regardless, decisions had to be made quickly and the toy was overlooked. Though you can’t blame the family for trying to save lives. The good news is that all the members of the family (pets included) were able to survive the fire. Even if the house was not…
Sadly, the owners’ house was a total loss. It is a heartbreaking and unfortunate truth nearly all of their belongings were lost in the fire. It will be difficult to move on, but they kept the thing that matters the most: their own lives. Though as luck would have it their dog’s favorite toy was completely intact. Seeing the pup playing with the toy reminded everyone that even simple things can bring great joy. The fun-loving golden retriever lifted the mood of everyone around him. Seeing him play with that toy was a nice break from the bleak reality that these severe fires entailed. As the cleaning process begins it is important to remember everything that the survivors still have. Recovery will be a long and daunting process, but the entire family is happy to have OJ leading the way. Finding that toy in the rubble was a good reminder that things are going to be alright.
The hope is that the Zagami family can build momentum from this small silver lining. Though it won’t be easy. Along with the home the entire family farm was destroyed as well. It’s clearly been a very difficult process, even after finding a wedding dress still intact Kata Zagami was quoted as saying “Every day we get reminders — every hour we get a reminder of what we lost and what we haven’t got anymore, and we have found it really hard to be here and look at it.” There is going to be nothing easy about the recovery, but it’s a process that will continue with time. Finding the wedding dress was also a nice reminder rebuilding is possible. It’s something that is going to be important for the whole community to remember going forward.
The community was hard hit by the fires, as were many places in Australia. But luckily everyone has rallied together in order to rebuild their homes. It will be a delicate process, but it is clear that OJ will be cheering them on the whole way. He has become a symbol of hope in a situation that is clearly tragic. The good news is that tragedies like this can cause people to rally together. As a matter of fact, the entire world has started to contribute toys and supplies for all of the pets that have been affected by the fire. In many ways this fire has brought out the best in people and forced them all to come together for this moment in time. The response has been impressive and helps to restore faith in humanity. There is no better result than when people and animals work together for the betterment of the world.
The fires have been a serious concern for the country. While firefighters have made significant progress, the fires still continue. The total land area burned is more than “1.5 million hectares” at this point and will certainly total more before all of the damage is done. Moments like this encounter with OJ and his toy give inspiration for the firefighters to keep going to get the job done. Many people have mixed emotions about the story. One user on twitter commented “Well that has both broken and fixed my heart in the space of 0.078557 seconds.” This story is a great reminder that modern society can still get together to get things done. The Wairewa Fire Department reported that there were no deaths in the community and has posted some updates on its Facebook page. It is yet another encouraging sign that recovery from this catastrophe is possible.
We all know that little OJ will be leading the way when it comes to warming our hearts. This is hopefully just one of many happy tales of triumph to come from an otherwise unthinkable tragedy. There is no better mascot out there to lead the way than the adorable and affable golden retriever named OJ. This is something that will be talked about for many years to come. There is no way to deny the power of a loving puppy and his toy.