Family Loses 2 of Their Dogs in House Fire. A Special Gift Helps the Kids Through the Grief 

A Michigan family of five is working to heal after losing two of their beloved dogs in a devastating house fire.

On March 11, Elisia Pothoof, her husband, and their three children — ages 6, 3, and 1 — left home to run errands. While checking out at their local Walmart, they received a call that their house was on fire.

“At first, we thought it had to be some kind of joke or prank,” Elisia told PEOPLE. But when they arrived, the flames and smoke confirmed their worst fear — their home was engulfed, marking the beginning of a long journey to rebuild their lives.

Investigators later determined the blaze was caused by a short circuit in the home’s breaker box. “It caused what the fire department said was $150,000 in damage to the home, with an additional $50,000 estimated lost in contents,” Elisia said.

Those numbers seemed small compared to the family’s greater loss: their two German shepherds, Meeko and Sona — a father-daughter pair — didn’t survive.

One neighbor, Jesse, tried desperately to save them. “He kicked the door in and attempted to get to the dogs, but there was too much smoke and flames. He also told his wife to call 911,” Elisia recalled.

Meeko “had the sweetest soul and loved his people, especially our 3-year-old,” while Sona “was super sweet, loved food, and somehow knew how to get into the fridge and freezer,” Elisia said.

While three of their other dogs were rescued, the loss of Meeko and Sona hit the children hard. “Our youngest doesn’t really understand, but our 3- and 6-year-olds have taken it badly. The 3-year-old was close to both dogs, and the 6-year-old was especially close to Sona.”

As the family searched for somewhere to stay and began replacing their children’s comfort items, Elisia connected with a Facebook group called Ace Gets Thrifty. A fellow member suggested she reach out to the Lost Stuffy Project on Instagram.

The group provided the Pothoofs with gas cards, emotional support items like Pause with Panda plushies for the girls, and a connection to Petsies. Petsies offered to create two life-sized stuffed replicas of Meeko and Sona for the children.

“They said it would take six weeks. We got them a couple of weeks ago, and ever since, Sunni — our 3-year-old — carries them everywhere,” Elisia said.

For her, seeing the positive impact of the stuffed animals has been deeply meaningful. “As their mom, it means a lot because they lost everything. Seeing a bit of joy return because they have these stuffed animals that look exactly like our dogs is really special.”

The family is still displaced, staying with relatives while their home is rebuilt. The damage was so severe that the foundation had to be torn down. “Our insurance only covered the structure, not the contents. We’re replacing all the furniture, appliances — everything.”

Construction is expected to be complete before winter. “That’s good because we do live in Michigan,” Elisia said. “Until then, we’re just waiting on materials so the build can continue.”