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 told The Dodo. “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.”
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.
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.