After Suffering A Horrible Act Of Animal Cruelty, Denali The Dog Now Models Healing

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The first time Karey Burek of Palm Harbor set eyes on Denali, her heart sank. The dog had third-degree burns over her head and back. Burek assumed the dog couldn't possibly survive — but nobody told Denali that.

On Aug. 25, 2018, Denali, a 3-year-old American Staffordshire terrier, along with another dog, Esco, had been placed in cages, doused with gasoline and left in a closed-off room in their Lutz home. Their former owner then set the home on fire.

Pasco County firefighters arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames, the fire so intense that they were unable to enter the house until the flames were out. When they finally stepped inside the fire-ravaged home and opened the door of the closed room, they were shocked at the sight of the two severely burned dogs trapped in cages, crying in pain, but miraculously alive.

Usually, humans and pets die of smoke inhalation long before the flames ever reach them.

Burek, a volunteer with the nonprofit Suncoast Animal League in Palm Harbor, was charged with picking up Denali from Pasco County Animal Services and driving her to BluePearl Veterinary Partners' emergency veterinary hospital at 3000 Busch Lake Blvd. in Tampa.

The county pet shelter didn't have the funds or the expertise to care for such a severely burned dog. So, the Suncoast Animal League agreed, which frequently takes on cases of animals severely injured or abused, agreed to be responsible for Denali's care.

Esco, whose injuries weren't as severe, was treated at a Pasco County veterinary hospital and adopted by one of the hospital's veterinarians.

"It was pretty devastating to see the condition Denali was in," Burek said. "I go back to that time and I still get emotional. It was heartbreaking. She was in so much pain. She cried during the entire ride to the animal hospital."

BluePearl veterinarian Dr. Sylvia Lee knew at first glance that Denali's injuries weren't accidental. She had third-degree burns on her head and torso, including deep wounds covering 35 percent of her back that required surgery.

"Dogs who are burned in fires tend to have burns on their feet, legs and bellies, not on their backs," said Lee.

Lee suspected the dog had been doused with a flammable liquid and then deliberately set on fire. Her suspicions were later confirmed by Pasco County fire investigators who found evidence her owner poured gasoline on her before setting the house on fire.

The owner, Brandi Corrigan, was later found guilty of arson, animal cruelty and possession of narcotics. She was sentenced to prison for eight years in June 2021. Her former husband, Sean, a private security contractor working in Iraq at the time, told Patch she did it out of retaliation after he told her he intended to divorce her after he learned she'd been having an affair.

When Burek arrived at BluePearl with Denali, she was told the dog had less than a 50 percent chance of surviving. But Denali was determined to prove them wrong. Despite the excruciating pain, Burek said Denali never stopped fighting to survive.

"She has such a warrior spirit," she said. "During the surgeries and burn treatments and all the excruciating pain, she still wagged her tail through it all."

As if she understood the veterinary staff was trying to help her, Lee said Denali would feebly lick the veterinary staff as they administered IVs and changed her bandages.

During her first 17 days in the veterinary hospital's intensive care unit, during which Denali was under 24-hour care, she underwent several surgeries and received megadoses of antibiotics and medications through three IV catheters. To this day, the veterinary hospital refers to the combination of seven antibiotics and pain medications the dog received as the "Denali cocktail."

The dog barely whimpered as she endured the painful debridement of the dead and damaged burned skin. Afterward, she patiently tolerated being covered in bandages, giving her the appearance of a creature from a Hollywood horror movie.

"She was a fighter from the beginning," said Lee. "She had good days and bad days but, through it all, she had such a strong will to live."

Eventually, Denali began showing signs of improvement, eating on her own and taking a few shaky steps.

Up until that point, Burek's volunteer work with the Suncoast Animal League mostly involved picking up animals in need and bringing them to the league's shelter or, if necessary, to one of the league's partner veterinary hospitals.

However, Burek said she was inspired after witnessing the dog's trusting nature despite the cruelty of her owner and her fight to live. So, Burek volunteered to take on the difficult, time-consuming task of fostering Denali when she was released from full-time veterinary care.

"I have a soft spot for the underdogs," said Burek. "I was kind of an underdog myself. Denali was so resilient. She never lost her love for humans or her determination to survive. She inspired me and changed my life."

Denali was in bandages for another 65 days after she was released from the hospital. Burek drove her to BluePearl every two days to have her wounds cleaned, after which the veterinary staff would apply sheets of honey to her burns and then wrap her back up in bandages.

Fortunately, Burek had a lot of help with Denali's medical care. After hearing Denali's story, animal lovers from around the country donated money for her treatment, which eventually added up to about $24,000.

After learning how to care for Denali's burns, Burek agreed to foster other canine burn victims, including Clover, who was adopted by the Madeira Beach Fire Department and now serves as the department's fire dog, and Ruby, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue's fire dog.

Denali was always there to help Burek care for the other injured dogs, soothing them with gentle licks when they were whining in pain. As they healed, she would share her toys with them and encourage them to chase run and play with her outside.

"Denali's so gentle with them," Burek said. "She has the ability to empathize with them because she's gone through the same thing."

Burek was on hand on the days Ruby and Clover were officially sworn in as certified fire dogs."I couldn't be prouder," she said.

Denali's ability to comfort wasn't limited to other dogs. Burek discovered that the irrepressible canine had an effects on people suffering physical or emotional pain that was nothing short of magical.

"I never thought about doing therapy work, but I knew Denali was meant for greater things," said Burek. "She would light up a room when we walked in and seemed to sense when someone needed extra attention. It was absolutely amazing."

Denali had healed enough to forego bandages, but the burns left severe, visible scars on her head and back.

"It makes her very sensitive to the sun so I have a sunscreen made for dogs and spray her down and then dress her in a UV-blocking T-shirt before taking her out," Burek said.

The sight of the badly scarred dog dressed in a T-shirt attracted attention wherever they went. Denali relished the atttention, allowing both children and adults pet her scarred head as Burek told them Denali's story.

Denali's patience and innate ability to bring smiles to faces of those who encountered her convinced Burek to enroll Denali in basic obedience classes with New Dawn Animal Behavior in Clearwater and then take intermediate and advanced manners classes with the same private trainer that worked with Clover and Ruby.

Following the year-long training process, Denali, now 8 years old, has her Canine Good Citizen Certification through Project Pup (Pets Uplifting People), and is an official therapy dog.

She and Burek make regular appearances at Pinellas County libraries, local schools, pediatric hospital units, libraries and domestic violence and homeless shelters.

Denali also serves as an official canine greeter at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, has been invited to serve as a mascot at fundraisers for firefighters and pediatric burn survivors and, this month, visited with pediatric burn victims at a local summer camp.

"She changed the course of my life and the way I give back," said Burek. "She's an enthusiastic greeter and is always eager to meet new people."

Burek said she was especially honored when The Haven domestic violence shelter at Hope Villages of America asked her to bring Denali for weekly visits.

She recalled one of Denali's first visits to the shelter.

"There was one woman who rarely came out of her room and never smiled. I get emotional when I think about this," said Burek, tearing up as she told the story. "When I arrived with Denali, this woman came out of her room and got down on the floor. Denali crawled into her lap and let her pet her scars. The staff told me this was the first time they'd ever seen this woman smile."

Burek said children are especially curious about Denali's pronounced scars.

Related stories:

• Husband Speaks Out On Lutz Woman Who Set Fire To Home And Dogs
• There's New Hope For Dog Set On Fire By Owner
• Fate Of Dog Burned When Owner Set Fire To House Uncertain
• Lutz Woman Charged With Setting Fire To Home With 8 Dogs Inside
• Puppy Badly Burned In House Fire To Be Sworn In As Fire Dog

"It gives me the chance to tell her story and how she overcame her injuries and her fears. It's been amazing to me as her mom to see her bond with the women and the kids at the domestic violence shelter, see how she connects with them and makes them laugh with her goofy looks," she said.

"I get tears in my eyes when I watch her," Burek said. "She's bringing hope to these kids, showing them that they can overcome anything. You can't not be happy around her. I'm so honored and lucky to be her mom."

There was never any question in Burek's mind that the foster dog would become a permanent part of her family. Meanwhile, another special-needs dog at Suncoast Animal League caught her attention.

"It's upsetting to see animals suffer, but we have the ability to change the course of their life. That makes it so powerful and amazing to foster," she said.

Hugo was brought to the Suncoast Animal League after being found abandoned with two other 5-week-old puppies in a public restroom in a park in Pasco County.

Hugo was suffering from seizures due to spinal inflammation and was unable to use his back legs.

“We weren’t sure if he was going to make it or not," said Burek. "They hadn’t seen a case like this before. He has a form of dwarfism, has neuro issues and has immune issues as well,” Burek said.

With the help of therapies and the encouragement of his big sister and best friend, Denali, Hugo grew stronger and eventually adapted to his disabilities.

"He kind of hops like a bunny, but he's so happy and is everyone's friend," she said. "These dogs live in the moment, and they remind me and everyone they meet to do that, too."