Lacey, WA horse farrier devastated by loss of dog, tools, RV in fire
Lacey man rebuilding after devastating RV fire
Horse farrier Michael Bennett says he's now homeless and heartbroken after a fire ripped through his friend's RV.
LACEY, Wash. - Two friends in Lacey are hoping to rebuild after an RV destroyed their home and livelihoods.
The backstory:
Farrier Michael Bennett specializes in caring for the hooves of horses and runs his own mobile educational programs in person and online.
He says he was staying with his friend Jeremy in Lacey and their pets in the RV they were sharing when the fire broke out Sunday.
In video taken of the fire, you can hear the anguish in Bennett's voice as he yells, "Oh my god, no," while the RV burns.
"I was so upset I couldn’t stop crying," said Bennett.
The horse farrier says he's now homeless and heartbroken after a fire ripped through his friend Jeremy's RV.
"My dog died and his cat," said Bennett in the video.
The most precious thing to him was trapped inside as fire overtook the vehicle, his beloved pet and long-time companion Teaka.
"I went and tried to get Teaka, and it was so hot I couldn’t breathe," he said. "I love her more than my own life."
Bennett says the little Aussie was as smart as a whip.
"She did 22 different hand signals," he said. "Just an amazing dog. You couldn’t meet her without falling in love."
Bennett says he had little time to respond when the fire broke out near the stove in the RV. He says he had just got back from picking up food at Fred Meyer when he realized there were flames coming up from the stove area.
Because his friend's dog was closest to the door, he got it out first, but when he went back for Jeremy's cat Creamsicle and Teaka, it was too late.
"I tried to bust the window. By that time, there was several people, and a guy named Josh. Thank you just so much to him," said Bennet. "He tried, and I tried, and I just couldn’t get her. I could hear her whining and everything, and I just couldn’t get to it," he said, wiping away tears.
As for his livelihood, his chaps and most of his farrier tools were destroyed. He was able to pull a few items from the rubble that could withstand high heat, but not many.
"They are a little bit oily now, but they are saved," he said, showing the FOX 13 crew what was left.
Friends started an online fundraiser for Bennett and Jeremy. Bennett says folks can also reach out to him through his work page, pictured below, if they'd like to help.
"He lost all his mechanical tools for work, and I lost all my shoeing tools and several thousand dollars of equipment and we both ended up homeless after this, and we are just trying to get back to work. We don’t have a way to do it without help from people.," said Bennett.
Bennett took time to thank the firefighters and police who responded and others who comforted him and helped him to get a hotel room for three days.
"I’m sitting there bawling my eyes out because all I could think about was Teaka," he said.
To help in the healing process, he plans to write a cartoon online called the "Adventures of Cowboy and Teaka" to honor her. He created the picture below of her as an inspiration.
"She was just the most amazing dog, and just wonderful. I never had a dog I loved more or smarter than her," he said.
Here is a link to the online fundraiser started for Bennett and his friend Jeremy.
The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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