The fire took everything — but two fragile hearts survived, waiting for someone to help them begin again

The flames devoured the home in minutes — and with it, five beloved pets. When the smoke cleared, only two fragile shapes remained: Tiny and Foxy.

Last Sunday, Karen, a longtime Buffalo resident, lost her home of 18 years to a devastating fire. Inside that home were seven pets—seven lives she loved like family.

Only two survived.

Tiny, a soft Tabico with a gentle heart, and Foxy, a shy Torti who always stayed close to her sister, were pulled from the ashes—shaking, soot-covered, and confused.

Karen and her son, now displaced and living in an Airbnb, made the heartbreaking decision to surrender them. They wanted the girls to have safety, stability, and care they could no longer provide.

With love and grief, they entrusted them to Ten Lives Club.

When staff at Ten Lives Club opened the carrier, they saw two cats huddled close — not just frightened, but frozen.

Tiny was protective. Foxy hid behind her, trembling, wide-eyed.

Every volunteer recognized the trauma: not just the loss of a home, but of safety, of routine, and of beloved companions who hadn’t made it out.

Karen tearfully recalled, “Foxy used to sleep under the table, while Tiny would curl into my lap every morning. Now I just hope someone will love them like I did.”

Her son, a longtime dog foster, couldn’t take them in — not because he didn’t want to, but because he knew he couldn’t offer what they now needed: peace.

So they let go — so someone else could hold on.

Now at the shelter, Tiny and Foxy are safe. Still unsure. Still learning to trust. But they eat. They rest. They stay side by side, like they always have.

If you have a quiet space, a warm lap, and a heart big enough for two — Tiny and Foxy are ready to learn what it means to come home again.