Firefighter Adopts Puppy He Saved from House Fire
February 6, 2026
A heartening rescue story in Pickens County, Georgia recently took a touching turn when a firefighter adopted a puppy he had saved from a devastating house fire.
The Holaway family
Last March, firefighters responded to a house engulfed in flames, where they encountered a poignant scene: a mother dog had shielded her newborn litter from the fire, ultimately sacrificing her life.
Jennifer Seigel, founder of Bosley’s Place, shared with a local Georgia news station, “She shielded the babies, she lost her life protecting them.”
Firefighters managed to rescue the puppies by carefully passing them out through a window. Despite efforts to save her, the mother dog did not make it.
Lieutenant John Isaac Holaway from Pickens County Fire recounted, “Me and my crew went in, they told us what room they were in, whereabout. And I was able to find them because of their mother. I just started picking up every puppy that I could, radioed to the chief that I had found them, and then I started passing the puppies out the window.”
The surviving puppies were then cared for by Pup and Cat Company and Bosley’s Place and adopted into new homes—all except one, named Kreed.
Kreed’s first adoption didn’t work out, and he caught the attention of Seigel while she was browsing online. “Just the other day, I was on social media and saw a post on their site that showed a dog that looked very familiar to me,” Seigel said. “It said he needed a foster and they couldn’t find one.”
Seigel reached out to confirm if Kreed was indeed the puppy from the fire and found out his initial adoption failed through no fault of his own. “She told me that his first adoption didn’t work out, not because of him, he’s an angel and super sweet,” said Seigel.
She then thought of Lieutenant Holaway, who had already taken in another puppy from the same litter, named Chief Lou. After discussing with Holaway, they decided to reunite Kreed with his brother.
Holaway shared his sentiments, “To a lot of people, their animals are their family. And it’s cool to be able to save anybody. So it was neat saving a whole litter of puppies.”
The reunion between Kreed and Chief Lou was instantaneously joyful. Seigel noted, “They haven’t seen each other since the house fire, so first of all, it was an amazing reunion. And if all goes well, Kreed will go home with Chief Lou.”
Holaway, recalling Kreed’s transformation, said, “From the picture that I saw of Kreed yesterday, he looked pretty sad, and now he looks real happy. Lou’s loving it. They both seem happy, and that makes me happy.”
Currently, Kreed is being fostered by Holaway, who is assessing if a permanent adoption is possible. “There’s just a special connection,” Holaway commented. “With these dogs, because I rescued them.”
Beyond Holaway’s home, Kreed has found a second family at the firehouse, where his presence lifts spirits. Holaway mentioned, “The guys love it. It’s like therapy for them. No matter what kind of day we are having, some snuggles and love from the dog is always a plus.”
Seigel described the story as coming full circle, expressing, “One of the things about Bosley’s Place that I really love is that when you’re adopting from us, it really feels like you’re family. Even though Kreed wasn’t brought up with us, he’s still part of our family. And I’m just so happy. It’s all love, love, love all the way around.”
Holaway remains focused on ensuring Kreed’s happiness, saying, “We just want to see how it goes. As long as he gets a happy home, that’s the most important part.”
