Tag: Phoenix

Phoenix Teen Jumps off School Bus to Save His Dog from House Fire

As 14-year-old Mike Assi of Phoenix rode the bus to his middle school yesterday morning, he noticed smoke pouring from a house.

It was his house, and his Pit Bull mix, Zach, was inside it. Assi ran to the front of the bus and yelled for the driver to stop.

“The bus driver was yelling at me, telling me not go in but I just had to open the door,” Assi, a student at Deer Valley Middle School, told KPHO. “I had to at least yell for my dog to see if I could give him a chance to come out. I was just worried about him. I wasn’t scared. I was worried about him because he’s family.”

Assi jumped off the bus and ran to his house. When he opened the front door, smoke poured out. He called Zach’s name but got no response. So he ran around to the back door. When he opened it, Zach ran out.

Assi said Zach has been part of the family for 8 and a half years — over half his life.

Neither Assi or Zach were injured. No one else was home at the time. Firefighters put out the fire, which caused extensive damage to the house.

Capt. Aaron Ernsberger with the Phoenix Fire Department told KPHO that if you should happen to see a house fire, call 911 immediately.

The Assi family is thankful Zach is alive, and they’re calling Mike a hero for saving his life.

Family Lost Everything Except Their Dog

According to a GoFundMe page, the Assi family lost just about everything except Zach in the fire.

“The home was deemed a total loss and very little was salvageable,” wrote a family member. “My sister who is a competitive cheerleader lost all of her uniforms, we lost Christmas presents that had been bought, along with the irreplaceable family photos and memorabilia.”

More than $2,200 has been raised for hero Mike and his family as of Saturday. If you’d like to help them, click here.

Photo via YouTube

Stray Chihuahua and Boxer BFFs Get Forever Home Together

There’s something especially heart-tugging about Chihuahuas who are best pals with dogs four times their size. One such odd couple is a Chihuahua named Little Miss and Buster, a Boxer, who were found wandering the streets of Phoenix together April 8.

They were brought to Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, but no one came to claim them.

“Little Miss and Buster are obviously bonded. We think it would be heartbreaking to separate the two, and we’ve made it clear to potential adopters that they must stay together,” Melissa Gable, a public information officer at the shelter, told the Arizona Republic.

The shelter posted an adorable photo of Little Miss snuggling on top of her BFG (best giant friend) — her favorite napping spot — on its Facebook page, and it soon went viral.

“Little Miss appears to be the boss,” Gable told the Arizona Republic. “Buster was trying to sleep and she walked right over, barked in his ear and started nudging him with her nose. He just sighed and went back to sleep. He’s very patient with her, and she does whine if he isn’t around.”

Applications from potential adopters started flowing in and were entered in a lottery. The drawing was held Sunday, and the lucky winner is a California family. They are scheduled to come to the shelter today to claim their prizes, enabling Little Miss and Buster to live together happily ever after.

Photo via Facebook

Adoption Offers Pour in for Dog Abandoned When Owners Moved

A family moved out of their Phoenix house Wednesday, leaving behind a sofa by the curb for trash pickup — along with their pet dog.

When a neighbor got home from work late Thursday afternoon, she noticed the 3-year-old Pit Bull hunkered down between the sofa cushions, and snapped a picture of him.

“I guess the old owners left him there,” the neighbor, who declined to be identified, told ABC15.

After unsuccessfully trying to contact a rescue, the neighbor called Mariposa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC), which picked up the dog and then transferred him to the Arizona Humane Society.

In the meantime, the neighbor posted her photo on Facebook. It has gone viral, with thousands of shares.

“We’ve been inundated with calls, people, rescue groups, people that want to step up and help,” the MCACC’s Melissa Gable told ABC15.

When Gable saw the photo, her reaction was probably similar to that of most animal lovers.

“I almost cried,” she told ABC15. “He looks so pitiful and tiny.”

The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the case. The dog’s owner, if he’s found, may be (should be) facing animal cruelty charges.

Gable told azfamily.com the dog is doing well. “We just want to let the public know that he’s okay,” she said.

Photo via Facebook

Exit mobile version