Sprocket, a black and white border-collie mix, may have escaped the flames that killed his owner and two others in a devastating house fire early Sunday.
Friends of Joey Shedron Jr., 24, who died in the fire, are hoping that the pooch fled the house at 9877 Fairwood St. near Roxborough State Park before it burned to the ground.
The bodies of Shedron’s girlfriend, 18-year-old Amber Jeffers, and a friend, Jeremy McCarroll, 20, were found in the charred remains of the two-story home.
But investigators, so far, have not found a dog’s remains, said Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Cocha Heyden.
Shedron raced dirt bikes. He and his father, Joe Shedron Sr., were motocross enthusiasts who both worked at G Force Performance, a dealership for dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles and other vehicles.
Sprocket is listed on G Force’s website as the store’s mascot.
“Everybody in the racing community knew Sprocket,” said Mac, a friend of the Shedrons who didn’t want his full name used. “That is all that Joe has left.”
Shedron Sr. was in Sturgis, S.D., when the blaze erupted.
On Saturday, the day before the fire, Joey Shedron received news that his mother, Cinda Lyn, had died of brain cancer.
“I came back, and he and his girlfriend were crying. I knew what happened; he had expected it for a long time,” said Josh Miller, 23, a friend of Shedron.
“He was very close with his mom. Even (Joe Sr.) and his mom were still great friends,” Miller said of the divorced couple.
A group of friends, including Miller, gathered to console Shedron on Saturday night. The fire broke out at about 3:26 a.m. after most of them had gone home.
Devin Barnhart, 23, escaped but was severely burned. He was in critical condition today at the University of Colorado Hospital.
There was a doggy door at the house, and friends are hoping that the dog ran out when the fire started.
He was wearing a red collar with a heart-shaped tag inscribed with his name.
Any one who sees Sprocket should call Mac at 303-968-7241.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
