The Pacific Palisades wildfire has torn apart so much of the affluent West L.A. neighborhood forever ... but, it couldn't tear apart this owner and his dog -- 'cause the two found their way back to each other Sunday.

Here's the deal ... Liz Kreutz -- an NBC News correspondent covering the devastating fires in L.A. -- shared a clip Sunday monring showing a man named Casey Colvin returning to his block in Pacific Palisades to look for his dog.

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Apparently, someone spotted this dog -- named Oreo -- in the rubble and called Casey down to the area ... and, the two enjoyed a tearful reunion.

This is a must-watch clip for anyone feeling the toll from these fires ... Casey is beside himself with joy -- tearfully crying while holding his little furball in his arms.

According to Kreutz, Oreo has been sleeping in the rubble of a neighbor's home for the last five days. Casey left food and water near his house in hopes of helping Oreo survive ... unclear if the pup survived on that or hunted for himself.

The Palisades Fire has burned more than 23K acres since sparking last Tuesday and killed at least 16 people ... while also separating pets and their owners and leaving many wild animals with nowhere to go.

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All told, it's a miracle Oreo survived ... and, hopefully, many more pets like him were able to pull through this ordeal too.