FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A dog has returned home after a house fire forced the separation from her family. The dog’s owner has thanked a group of volunteers and SPCA staff for fostering and building a fence to make sure the reunion happened.

After losing her dog of 16 years, Brenda Williams turned to the Allen County SPCA for a new family member. She fell for Roxbury. The dog not only made an instant connection with Williams, but wither her son Tremont Beachem, who has autism.

“For her to come up to him and kiss on him and jump on him and all of that and he responded the same way – I knew she was the one,” Williams said about meeting Roxy.

A house fire forced Williams to look for a new home for Roxy… hopefully temporary.

“We jumped into action,” Foster Coordinator Kris Brandt told WANE 15. “We told her to come right away to the SPCA and we would board Roxy for however long we had to.”

The Allen County SPCA’s executive director, Jessica Henry credited the Pet Promises and Compassion Foster programs, as well as a grant from PetSmart Charities for making the solution possible.

“And then the icing on the cake was when staff and volunteers from the SPCA came out here and built Roxy a brand new fence,” Henry added.

Several volunteers stepped up on a Sunday, building the fence needed for Roxy to return to the home, rebuilt after the fire. Some of the supplies were donated or bought at a discount.

“When I found that out – oh, my God! I cried because it was in bad shape,” Williams explained. “They came over here and volunteered and I mean, they knocked that thing out in one day.”

“The day that Brenda was able to pick her up – it’s a feeling that is beyond measure,” Brandt said.

Williams had the chance to thank the volunteers and SPCA staff for allowing Roxy to return home. She told WANE 15 it felt like the family was together again.

“I’m really proud that this organization was able to step up in the way that we did, above and beyond to bring a little joy to a sad time,” Henry added.