In January, a dog and her human family lost their home to a house fire. Two cats, a dog, and a litter of puppies, did not survive the fire, but a lab mix, Lexi Ann survived albeit with severe burns.
Due to her burns and their inability to care for her, Lexi’s family believed the only option was euthanasia. A vet tech at the vet’s office fell in love with the sweet dog and reached out to Ruff Start Rescue for help.
According to Ruff Start Rescue, Lexi was able to escape from the house fire because her plastic kennel melted. But in the process it melted around her and some of the plastic stuck to her causing severe burns.
She was left with very little fur and what was left was singed from the fire. She suffered countless burns on her feet, sides, nipples, and face. She also had a large ulcer over one of her eyes.
Some of the burns were so serious that they went down to the muscle.
Sarah Hecklinski and her family fostered Lexi while she healed from her horrible injuries.
“She didn’t care about any of it,” Hecklinski said, according to FOX 9. “As long as you were petting her, touching her and loving her, she was game.”
Despite her injuries, Lexi’s condition improved every day.
Her foster family shared her progress on Instagram. Lexi’s pictures caught the attention of many, but it was Travis Oliver who couldn’t stop thinking about the dog with the severe burns.
“My heart literally broke for her,” Oliver, a firefighter from West Lafayette, Indiana, said. “I fell in love with her and knew she was my dog.”
He knew the heartbreak of rescuing beloved pets from house fires only for them not to survive, and he thought that if he could give Lexi a loving home, “it would be a little bit of relief.”
Oliver reached out to Hecklinski and the two stayed in contact throughout Lexi’s recovery. When the time came for Lexi to find a forever home, Oliver applied to adopt her, but was denied because he was out of state.
He applied again and explained why he wanted to adopt Lexi, and that along with some help from Hecklinski secured the deal.
“I think they’ll understand what a fire does to a person who has to go through it and they can easily relate that to a dog,” Lexi’s foster mom said.
On April 6, several months after Lexi almost lost her life in a house fire, Lexi got a second chance.
“I’m going to give her the absolute best life that anyone can,” Oliver said.
Oliver hopes to bring Lexi to a camp in Indiana for burn victims because he believes she will be able to help them in their healing.
What a happy ending for Lexi!
And now she will get to help others heal from their scars too.
Let’s wish Lexi and her new family a happy and healthy life!
