Dog rushed to her firefighter owner when she heard him load a gun – and her heartbreaking reaction stopped him from doing the unthinkable 

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of suicide and gun violence that some readers may find distressing.

Not all heroes wear a cape; some have furry paws and floppy ears. The life of a first responder is no bed of roses as they rescue and tackle situations unfathomable to the common folk. Firefighter Matt Dunaj had been serving in the Detroit Fire Department for years until it got the best of him. In the worst of times, his pet dog, Mia, a Goldendoodle, kept him company. One day, she heard her owner load a gun and instantly knew she was needed. The dog ran to Dunaj, and her heartbreaking reaction knocked the senses back into him.

In an emotional interview with Local 4 News, the firefighter opened up about the dark spell he was in when he decided to take his own life. “It kind of all snowballed. It was a perfect storm. Everything led up to that moment,” Dunaj expressed. The harsh reality of his revered job was that years of trauma had finally caught up to him, sending him into a dark place with no one to reach out to. All the car accidents, house fires, and grotesque scenery he had witnessed over the years of serving as a firefighter and first responder came back to haunt him in times of solitude. 

One fateful day in August, Dunaj found himself slipping to the edge, sitting in his basement. He got the gun, loaded it, and contemplated suicide to end the pain and misery. Suddenly, his dog ran over to him as a ray of hope. She jumped on his lap and licked his face, bringing him back to reality. “And in that moment, thank the Lord the dog was home because she heard it, and as soon as that happened, she came up to me. In that unconditional love, she licked me in my face and kind of got me out of it,” recalled the firefighter of his dog's life-saving act. 

Not only did Mia save her owner’s life, but the moment became the start of Dunaj’s healing journey. He handed over his gun to his brother and reached out to the IFF Center for Excellence for help. Two weeks later, he was already on a new journey, receiving the help he had long needed. “It adds up. Especially if you don’t deal with it the proper way. It’ll come back and haunt you,” said Dunaj, referring to the stressful nature of his job.

The firefighter revealed that he decided to openly speak about his experience after one of his co-workers lost their life to suicide. Dunaj now wants to show the way to others in similar situations and encourage them to seek help. Marking himself as the “living proof” that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, Dunaj exemplifies resilience in the face of adversity. A 2024 study published in PubMed reported that about 40% of professional firefighters are facing clinically substantial levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about self-harm, please call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.