Daniel’s Story: A Fire, a Failing System, and the Fierce Love That Saved Three Cats

Daniel is 56 years old. For over three decades, he lived quietly and independently in a public housing unit in Geelong. Daniel has a lifelong learning impairment and health challenges. He’s never received ongoing formal support—no regular case worker, no medical advocate, no safety net. Just him, his resilience, and his three cats—rescues he took in and now loves like family.

Daniel wasn’t asking for much. He umpired more than 800 local footy matches over the years, which kept him active and gave him his only real social connection. His cats gave him purpose. His home—unchanged in over 30 years with crumbling carpet and fading paint—was his sanctuary.

But in 2025, that sanctuary started to fall apart.

It began with a heart attack during a preseason football match. Daniel ended up in hospital, alone and unsure what would happen to his beloved pets. Friends stepped in to feed the cats. Upon visiting the home, they found it in a severely neglected state—filthy, cluttered, and unfit for recovery. Despite alerting healthcare staff and requesting support, Daniel was discharged with a bag full of medications he didn’t understand, no transport, and no care plan. He caught the bus home alone.

He called in distress the next day. He didn’t know what to do with the medicines. It took the compassion of a friend—not a service provider—to get his medication sorted into a Webster Pack and ensure he was safe. No formal follow-up came. Some light cleaning services were arranged—but did nothing to address the real issues.

Eventually, Daniel was connected with Barwon Health’s Connected Care Program, which began to make a difference. A care coordinator helped with an NDIS application, social support services, and a routine he began to enjoy again. For the first time in years, someone was listening.

But on 26 February 2025, things took another devastating turn.

Daniel was woken by screams and saw smoke pouring into his bedroom.

His neighbour’s unit—long the source of disturbances and police visits—was on fire. Daniel ran outside… but not before desperately trying to get his cats to safety. They bolted and disappeared. He feared they were gone forever.

The fire was contained, but Daniel’s unit suffered significant smoke and water damage. It was declared unliveable. Daniel—fresh out of hospital weeks earlier, vulnerable, and frightened—was left with nowhere to go. Despite promises from emergency housing services, no accommodation was arranged. A private operator even refused his referral outright.

It was friends who found him shelter. It was friends who cleared damaged belongings. And it was friends who later learned they'd all been exposed to asbestos—because no one had been warned about contamination.

While the system failed Daniel time and again, Don't Forget My Pet was able to provide something no one else could: the security of knowing his cats were safe. Our safety net foster care service stepped in immediately, giving Daniel peace of mind during an unimaginable time.

Daniel’s story is deeply personal, but sadly, it isn’t rare. It reflects the broader failures of a broken system—one where vulnerable people like Daniel are forced to rely on goodwill instead of guaranteed care.

We believe people shouldn’t have to choose between their wellbeing and their pets. Daniel didn’t—and because of this community, neither will others.

Thank you for helping us keep families like Daniel’s together.

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