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Family dog found alive and well at home destroyed by California wildfire

Posted at 8:44 AM, Oct 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-16 12:11:03-04

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- After a lengthy search through the aftermath of a wildfire, a Northern California family found their parents' missing dog alive and well.

Beckyjean Widen's parents were asleep when flames started to surround their home and as they escaped, their family dog, Izzy, ran away from them.

They could not chase after Izzy without risking their own lives, and feared Izzy didn’t make it after the fire burned through their neighborhood.

But when Widen’s brother, Jack Weaver, and her husband, Patrick Widen, hiked three miles to the property, they saw Izzy joyously run up to them.

The two men were recording the scene to show Jack and Beckyjean’s parents and captured the heartwarming reunion.

The video was posted on Facebook and has gone viral with more than 1.8 million views.

“She was very happy to see us,” Weaver told the Associated Press about the 9-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog. “She’s such a brave dog. She was panting a lot and clearly stressed. But she was not frantic or anything.”

The family told KGO that Izzy is doing fine, but their home is a total loss.