Bonnie Chapman, the daughter of Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman and his late wife Beth, has been left devastated after her house burned down earlier this week. The 24 year-old lost six pets in the house fire as well as irreplaceable photos of her deceased mother.
Bonnie’s House Burns Down
Daily Mail reported that the house fire took place in Fishersville, Virginia on Tuesday. Bonnie told TMZ that she was at work with her boyfriend Ismael when she was called about a fire at her rental home.
“While I was at work, I got a call that my house was on fire,” Bonnie recalled. “Immediately, I packed up my things and I left work as quick as I could.”
Bonnie rushed home hoping that there’d been some kind of mistake, but sure enough, the house was on fire when she got there. Her thoughts immediately went to her six pets, which included three cats, one dog, one gecko and a snake.
“When I arrived at the scene, the fire had initially told me told me that they had found two cats and they were looking for any other animal,” she recalled.
Sadly, all six of the animals ended up dying due to smoke inhalation.
“What’s even more heartbreaking is that I also lost my six beloved pets: Merlyn, Plum, Azriel, Nyssa, Sophie, and Stokley,” Bonnie lamented to Entertainment Tonight. “Their beautiful souls brought joy, love and meaning into my life, and I am deeply grieving their loss.”
Related: Dog The Bounty Hunter’s Daughter Sues Over Late Mother Beth Chapman’s Memorial Fund
Beth’s Ashes
By the grace of God, however, the ashes of Beth, who died in 2019 of lung cancer at the age of 51, survived the blaze.
“That was one of my main worries,” Bonnie admitted of possibly losing the ashes. That being said, Bonnie lost a lot of Beth’s photos and belongings in the fire.
“A big chunk of my belongings are destroyed or are engulfed in smoke,” she said.
While Bonnie has decided not to start a GoFundMe page, she will be looking into cremation rings or commissioning portraits to honor the memory of her beloved pets.
“That’s how I’m gonna honor them, and I’m gonna keep them with me at all times because they have filled my life with so many memories,” she explained. “My oldest cat, Plum, she was my mother’s favorite, and we’re both divas, and I hope that my mom is really happy to have Plum with her.”
Local fire officials have said that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. Watch Bonnie talk more about the fire in the video below.
Related: Dog The Bounty Hunter’s Daughter Claims Brian Laundrie Search Isn’t What It Seems
Bonnie Wants Others To Learn From This
Bonnie is hoping that others can learn a major life lesson from her personal tragedy.
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that life is fragile, and we should cherish the moments we have with our loved ones, including our pets,” she said.
“Make the most of the time you have with your furry family members by giving them your full attention, playing with them, and telling them you love them as often as possible,” Bonnie concluded. “I did my best to provide my pets with a wonderful life, and their absence leaves an immense void in my heart.”
Dog has yet to comment on his daughter’s fire. In the years since Beth’s death, Dog and Bonnie have become estranged, with her even claiming that she was dis-invited from his 2021 wedding to his new wife Francie Frane.
Tragedies like this fire can sometime have a way of bringing families back together again, so we can only hope that this one leads to Dog and Bonnie reconciling. Life is too short to hold grudges, particularly when it comes to family!
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