A beloved dog breeder made the ultimate sacrifice for her four-legged companions when deadly flames swept through her California property.
Susan Solari, 70, the owner of Hinterland German Shepherds, reportedly refused to evacuate as the Gann Fire closed in, choosing instead to stay behind with her dogs. Neighbors say she was determined not to abandon them.
Joan Wilson, a close friend and neighbor, recalled the desperate moments before the fire overtook the area. She told local media that she pleaded with Solari to leave, but the breeder was adamant.
“She was screaming and yelling, ‘No, I wasn’t going to evacuate,’” Wilson said. “There was fire all around.”
Wilson warned emergency responders that Solari remained on her property behind a locked gate with her dogs. She said she told them, “She wasn’t going to leave them.”
According to reports, authorities cannot forcibly remove people who choose to stay during natural disasters, so it remains unclear if officials were able to reach her in time.
Solari had spent decades raising and showing German Shepherds. Friends describe her as a strong, headstrong woman who was deeply devoted to her animals.
“She was a great show dog lady. She was headstrong. She was a strong woman,” Wilson said.
Firefighters later discovered Solari’s body inside a home on Jaquima Drive near Angels Camp. Officials have arrested a suspect who allegedly started the blaze, which has scorched more than 10,300 acres and is now 40 percent contained.
If confirmed, Solari’s death would be the first linked to a California wildfire this year.
What would you do if faced with the same impossible choice?
