Carmichael Residents Meet Good Samaritans Who Saved 7 Pets From Duplex Fire

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) — Two Carmichael residents met the good Samaritans who risked their lives to save seven pets inside a burning duplex.

Those strangers are being called heroes, but they say they were just at the right place at the right time.

They were passing by the duplex saw the smoke coming from the duplex, and they say they didn't even think twice about running in and saving their animals trapped inside.

On Monday, Paul Garner and his neighbor Shlanda Johnson met the strangers who saved their pets. It was also the first time they heard about how they each played a part.

All six of the good Samaritans say they heard smoke coming from the duplex on Walnut Avenue and decided to make sure no one was inside.

"Then we thought we heard something, so one of the gentleman kicked open the door," said Tracy McCarron.

Romello Weaver says he crawled under the smoke, grabbed two cats inside Paul's home, while Tracy got his dog.

Meanwhile next door, Brian McKinley broke Shlanda's window and rescued her pets as his wife, April Zerbe, did mouth-to-mouth on Paul's cat.

"I couldn't save it," Zerbe said. "I was holding it and crying didn't know what else to do."

Paul and Shlanda were at work when their duplex caught on fire. They got home to find all but one of their pets survived, and the stories of strangers coming to the rescue.

"I'm sure they all had important things to do and they all took their time and they stopped what they were doing to save my babies," Shlanda said.

"It's remarkable," Paul said. "They are absolute saints."

Unfortunately it will be an uphill battle for both of them, as they didn't have renter's insurance. Shlanda is also looking for a landlord that will take her and her four animals.

Paul says the cause of the fire was electrical.

To make matters worse, they both say looters broke into their homes after the fire and stole what they could.