For anyone who feels they haven’t yet reached maximum levels of emotional despair over the LA wildfires, here is one dog’s tail. Max lives with his people in the Pasadena area, which is currently being ravaged by the Eaton Fire. Amid the chaos, Max got separated from his people last week, which is how photographer Gabe Cortez found him while chronicling the fire’s destruction. Max was understandably skittish, so it took Cortez, a firefighter already on site, and local dog rescue owner Chris Abkarian to coax Max to trust them as he held his ground from his family’s front yard. Abkarian eventually got Max into his car (where the poor pup struggled to breathe after ingesting all that smoke) and took Max to his rescue center Whittier Dog Club. Then something truly wag-worthy happened: Cortez’s photos of Max in the fire went viral and the community stepped up, donating tons of pet necessities to Whittier Dog Club. You’re a very good boy, Max.

A firefighter, photographer, & shelter owner walk into a yard: Photographer Gabe Cortez was documenting the historic fires in Los Angeles when he found a dog barking near a home. Firefighters were nearby spraying properties with water as the timid dog barked and remained in its yard. Cortez helped contact Chris Abkarian, owner of the Whittier Dog Club. As first responders tended to the fire, Abkarian arrived on scene and was able to coax the dog into letting him leash him.

Fire & grim smoke: The dog, named “Max,” was rescued from the blaze and transported to the dog club in Whittier. “If it wasn’t for us to come and rescue him, who knows what would have happened,” Abkarian said. … “When we got there it was just black smoke and fires everywhere,” Abkarian said. “The entire scene was devastating and apocalyptic. Houses were burning down.” Abkarian said Max was rescued from his yard as the neighbor’s property burned to the ground, showing how close he was to losing his own life. “He was scared and nobody could get him because he was trapped inside this front yard,” Abkarian said.

A new leash on life: After the dog was removed from the fire zone, Abkarian set him up in a kennel at the Whittier Dog Club. There, Max joined several other dogs that were either rescued from the fires or dropped off for temporary shelter by owners who were displaced by the fire. Abkarian said he is curious about what Max witnessed before being rescued by strangers. “You don’t know what went through his mind. The soot and the smoke were ridiculous. You can imagine, dogs have a thousand times more scent glands,” Abkarian said. While Max is unable to share his story, Abkarian said the images Cortez took have helped give animals a voice during this fire.

Max has inspired heaps of donations: The photos of Max circulated online and grabbed the attention of a community hoping to help furry friends. Sasha Galperin, co-owner of Whittier Dog Club, said they have been inundated with donations from the community ever since Max’s story went viral. “They have given us treats, toys, biscuits. All of this will go to our rescues,” Galperin said. … With tears in her eyes, Galperin said she is inspired by how the greater Los Angeles area has come together to donate food, toys and even blankets to animals impacted by the fires. “Thank you, Whittier. Thank you, Los Angeles,” Galperin said. “The way the city of Los Angeles is coming together, it is overwhelming.”

[From CBS News Los Angeles]

There’s good news for Max! The dog club is in touch with his family and are working out “next steps,” as it’s not possible right now for everyone who’s displaced to have their pets with them yet. Apparently, Max’s family was all set to evacuate last week when Max got spooked and ran off. Max’s family had to make the difficult decision to continue evacuating when Max was nowhere in sight. This is a harrowing situation that many, many people are facing in LA right now (if you’re not already sobbing, check out this video of a man returning to his ruined home and finding his lost dog). So let’s give grace to Max’s family and all the persons who’ve been separated from their pets. This is the Sophie’s Choice of pup parenthood. Or Spot’s Choice, if you will. It’s so heartening to see how the LA community is showing up for their neighbors, and their little dogs, too. Thank you to everyone taking care of our animals right now, and working to minimize their distress. May all good floofs be reunited with their persons.

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