CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Lockport resident Raymond Warnock was grilling outside on Sept. 25, when he stepped away for a moment to call his wife.
“I looked up and I saw not regular smoke, but black smoke,” Warnock said. “I looked to the left and there was about a good two and a half feet of my deck that was on fire.”
Warnock told WBBM Newsradio his dogs were trapped on the deck.
“I did hear the dogs screaming and I couldn't get to them because the fire had already taken over the door entry point,” Warnock continued.
A neighbor was able to knock down his fence and save the dogs from the fiery deck, however Summer, a 7-year-old pit bull mix, was severely burned.
The dog was taken to a nearby animal hospital and spent 8 days in the intensive care unit.
What came next was a total surprise.
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“I did receive a call from one of the [veterinary] technicians and she kind of started the conversation by saying how amazing your community was because they were receiving phone calls and donations to help with the vet bill,” Warnock said.
Friends, neighbors and community members donated thousands of dollars to pay for Summer’s treatment.
The dog was able to go home with her family on Sunday afternoon.
Although their home is a total loss and their family is displaced, Warnock and his wife, Tanya, said they’re humbled by the outpouring of support.
“It's just an amazing show of how much good there actually is out there,” Warnock said. “The appreciation that we have towards our family and this community is going to last us a lifetime.”
A GoFundMe Page has also been started to help the family and their dog.
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