Rescue dog becomes a rescuer

Ten years ago, Harry Monahan saved a life when he adopted a rescue dog he named Shadow.

Last week, Shadow returned the favour.

Monahan, a 29-year resident of Bowen Island, lost nearly every earthly possession he owned in a devastating house fire on Creek Road last Wednesday night (Nov. 16) – and if it hadn’t been for Shadow, he would have lost his life as well.

The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen around 10:45 p.m. Neighbours were alerted by explosions coming from Monahan’s house, called the fire department at 11 p.m. and were screaming to Harry to try to get him out.

Monahan was upstairs, sleeping through it all – he’d had a hard day at work and fell into bed exhausted, he explained.

“I was dead.”

He was woken by Shadow nudging him in bed. “She’s not allowed up on the bed, so I knew something was wrong,” Monahan said. “I sit up and the smoke’s two feet above my head.”

Choking for breath, Monahan dropped to the floor and crawled toward the top of the stairs, where he found Shadow crouched down waiting for him.

“She wasn’t moving until I did.”

The two made it down the stairs and out of the house and as Monahan emerged, his neighbour threw a blanket over him – he was naked and every piece of clothing he owned was inside that burning house.

Suddenly Monahan realized his vital documents, including his passport, were in a metal drawer near the door. He darted back in to grab it, Shadow following him back into the burning house.

The pair emerged and Monahan was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. He emerged relatively unscathed, but had lost his home of 20 years and everything in it – from a priceless collection of antique tools to a designer Willie Nelson jacket to a bottle of bourbon from a batch made to celebrate the end  of the Second World War.

That’s when the second miracle kicked in – the generosity of Bowen Islanders.

In the past several days Monahan has been given clothes, had his pharmacy bills (and pints at the pub) paid for by strangers and even had the sparse cabin where he was staying furnished.

An account has been set up at the First Credit Union Bowen Island branch, and more than $2,100 in donations came in in the first week alone, according to bank manager Kevin Manning.

This Saturday’s Movember shave-off event at the Bowen Island Pub has been converted to a fundraiser for Monahan as well.

“I can’t get over the response,” he said.

Shadow, too, is being taken care of by generous Islanders. “She’s being spoiled rotten” says Monahan, who is now applying to have her designated as an official service dog.

“I want her to be with me 24-7,” he said.

“That’s why I called her Shadow.”

But the gift that seems to have touched Monahan the most is one he’s carrying with him everywhere.

The day after the fire, he went back to his neighbour’s house to get his passport so he could apply for a new driver’s licence, and the
neighbour’s small daughter Delilah came up to him and handed him a red stuffy toy with a note.

“This dog helped me throw tuff [sic] times and now she’ll help you,” the note reads.

Monahan is carrying both the toy and the note with him wherever he goes, and plans to build a frame to display the note in his new home.

“I’m overwhelmed,” says Monahan.

“I never had any idea it was like this on the island.”

Cause undetermined: fire chief

Bowen Island fire chief Ian Thompson said the call came in to the fire department at 11 p.m. and he was on scene within five minutes, with the Engine 30 first response team en route.

“When I got there it was fully involved,” said Thompson.

By that point Monahan had emerged from the house, so firefighters fought to keep the fire from spreading to neighbouring houses, which were as close as 40 to 50 feet away. Dense bush surrounding the house made it very difficult to get through to the back side, Thompson said.

“We had to bushwhack through with hoses.”

The fire was starting to spread uphill towards other houses, but fire crews managed to get the fire completely extinguished within the hour before working on hot spots.

The fire is believed to have started in the back kitchen area, though the exact cause is undetermined as the house is still unsafe to enter to investigate.

Thompson praised the volunteer response, which involved 20 firefighters manning both of Bowen’s main pumper engines working until 4:30 a.m.

“It was a full night for the guys.”