{"id":16066,"date":"2018-08-29T14:27:38","date_gmt":"2018-08-29T19:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=16066"},"modified":"2018-08-29T14:27:38","modified_gmt":"2018-08-29T19:27:38","slug":"firefighter-rescues-new-best-friend-while-battling-california-wildfire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=16066","title":{"rendered":"Firefighter rescues new best friend while battling California wildfire"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Fox 13<\/a>) \u2013\u00a0The Draper City Fire Department tragically lost a crew member in the Mendocino complex fire, but they also gained a new one with four legs.<\/p>\n

Draper City Firefighter Patrick Cullen had been battling the Mendocino Complex Fire for about four days when he felt something move in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018oh, me and a mountain lion. This will be fun,\u2019\u201d said Cullen.<\/p>\n

However, that mountain lion ended up being a German Shepherd.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a mud puddle there that he was pawing at for water, so I gave him some water, a couple bottles of water, and he slept under the engine for the next few hours,\u201d said Cullen.<\/p>\n

Right away, Cullen and the other firefighters started brainstorming names.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of us had mentioned Mendo, and it stuck,\u201d said Cullen.<\/p>\n

As much as they loved having the dog around, it wasn\u2019t safe to keep Mendo with them while they were on the fire lines.<\/p>\n

The Mendocino Animal Shelter tried to find his owner and when nobody came forward, they contacted Cullen.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of the volunteers from the county offered to meet in Reno,\u201d said Cullen.<\/p>\n

Chandra Brouilette was one of those volunteers and she shot their reunion on her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so heartwarming, and Mendo recognized Patrick right away, and there was no doubt that this was truly, truly meant to be,\u201d said Brouilette.<\/p>\n