Paradise Family Reunited With Dogs After Evacuating Without Them

PARADISE (CBS13) — The last time the Messatzzia family saw their beloved dogs Brodie the Golden retriever and Gunnar the Boxer was minutes before the deadly Camp Fire came ripping through their town of Paradise. Monica's packed truck wouldn't start, so she was forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to leave without them.

The family spent the rest of the night worrying until they heard that the dogs were found. Brodie and Gunnar had traveled at least four miles from home through treacherous conditions, arriving back to their owners without a scratch on them.

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It's unclear where the dogs had been or what they had been through, but the duo was found by firefighters wandering in and out of danger, firefighters brought them to a local shop owner to hold.

Several months ago the family's aunt, Brodie's owner, died and Brodie came to live with the Messatzzia family. While the family doesn't know if they have a home to go back to, they have each other.

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"If we didn't have them, we wouldn't feel like the family we were before the fire started," said Jazmin Messatzzia.

If home is where the heart is, this family is there.