“We shouldn’t underestimate the rescue dog and the incredible things they will do.”
When Gabby Bannon first met Rusty, she never anticipated that the timid stray would save her and her children’s lives.
It was by chance that Bannon even crossed paths with the homeless dog, since they lived over 500 miles from each other. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Bannon traveled to North Carolina with LaMancha Animal Rescue to deliver supplies to a distribution center. The volunteers stopped at Caldwell County Humane Society to pick up dogs surrendered or displaced by the storm.
“Rusty was wandering a nearby apartment complex with another dog when he was brought into the shelter after the storm,” Bannon said. “The dog he was with was reunited with its owner, but they didn’t recognize Rusty.” Bannon knew there was something special about Rusty, and they seemed to bond immediately.
“I was assisting in loading dogs in their crates to travel back to Pennsylvania, and when I put a leash on Rusty and pulled him from his kennel, I felt this instant connection,” Bannon said. “I can’t really explain why, but he seemed to have a gentle soul.” Seeing the look of fear on Rusty’s face as he neared his travel crate, Bannon decided to let him ride in the cab of her truck. “When I arrived home 11 hours later, I knew he would be with us,” Bannon said.
Soon, Rusty was officially part of her family. Her 2-year-old son showed a special interest in Rusty right away, wanting the dog with him at all times. “He is so well-mannered and one of the kindest dogs I’ve ever encountered,” Bannon said. “He blended right into the family and adores the kids.” Rusty seemed happy to finally be loved and wanted by a family — and he wasn’t going to let anything ruin that. So when his keen nose picked up the scent of smoke a few weeks after his adoption, he knew he needed to alert his new mom.
Bannon was napping with her baby and toddler in the early morning when Rusty began to get agitated. “He was sleeping on the floor and started barking and pacing,” Bannon said. “At first, I didn’t know why, so I tried to settle him. He persisted and started nipping at the sleeve of my shirt.”
Bannon recognized the smell of electrical burning, but living in an industrial area with her windows open, it didn’t strike her as alarming. “When Rusty wouldn’t settle, I decided to go downstairs, except when I opened my door, the house was filled with smoke,” Bannon said.
Two of her smoke detectors had failed, and thick, black smoke was choking the upstairs hallway. Bannon grabbed her two children and Rusty and evacuated the house.
Bannon rushed back inside to look for her cat and found the source of the smoke: a small fire in the kitchen seemingly caused by a faulty outlet. She was able to put it out with a fire extinguisher, with minimal damage. Without Rusty’s heroic actions, things could have turned out very differently, and the pup’s family made sure he knew he was a very good boy.
“It strengthened our connection for sure,” Bannon said. “That night, he had a steak dinner for himself, and we went to a local dog bakery for freshly baked treats for him!”
And for Bannon and her family, there was an important lesson learned that day: “We shouldn’t underestimate the rescue dog and the incredible things they will do.”