Volunteer firefighters stay to comfort terrified dogs after fire near Beenleigh Animal Rehoming Centre

Staff at an animal rehoming facility south of Brisbane have been blown away by a note they found after a bushfire raged nearby, leaving the four-legged residents terrified. It reveals the lengths volunteer firefighters went to in order to keep them safe. SEE THE NOTE

File picture: A Kelpie Cross Cattle Dog at the Animal Welfare League, Stapylton - Picture: Richard Walker

VOLUNTEER firefighters stayed with dogs at an animal rehoming centre until 1am to keep them safe, leaving a note explaining they’d told the terrified animals “we were here to keep them safe”.

Staff at the Animal Welfare League’s Beenleigh Animal Rehoming Centre arrived on site today to find the centre had come close to being lost in a fire overnight.

“The fire that occurred yesterday on Rossmans Road in Stapylton was in close proximity to AWLQ’s Animal Rehoming Centre,” a post on the AWLQ instagram account said.

“Thank you to the wonderful crew from the Birnam Rural Fire Brigade who kindly stayed at AWLQ’s Beenleigh Animal Rehoming Centre until 1am this morning to ensure our animals were safe.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who worked so hard to bring this fire under control.”

The note left by firefighters at the Animal Welfare League's Beenleigh Animal Rehoming Centre.

Firefighters left a note for staff, explaining they’d brought in the blankets to stop ash from getting on them and settled the frightened dogs by explaining they were there to help.

“We also told all the dogs that we were here to keep them safe,” the firefighters wrote.

“They are all very well behaved and listened as they stopped barking after we told them they were safe.

“It has been our pleasure to be onsite to make sure no fire started in your property.”