Hero Jack Russell Terrier Saves Entire Family Before Dying In House Fire

A Florida family’s Jack Russell terrier is being hailed as a hero after alerting them to a fire that was raging through the home — one that would end up taking the little dog’s life.

The incident happened in Bradenton this week, where the Butler family was asleep in the early morning hours when a blaze broke out in their home. As the New York Post reported, the home’s fire alarm fizzled out and failed to wake them, so Zippy the dog took over. Leroy Butler, the dog’s owner, said Zippy made sure each of the family members woke up.

“He was from bed to bed, back and forth,” Butler said, noting that the dog’s barking allowed him and his children to get out of the home.

Leroy Butler said that as soon as the family was safely out of the home, he tried to go back in for Zippy. By then, it was too late.

“The floor in the living room was all on fire so there was nowhere for him to run out. Even if the smoke was this high. He was a short little dog. There was nowhere for him to go,” said Butler.

As MyNews13 reported, the family had rescued the Jack Russell terrier a few years ago, and in his final act the dog rescued the family.

“Zippy was just a little Jack Russell terrier, a little black and white dog we adopted three or four years ago and he’s just been the house pet,” said Butler.

“He was real helpful and we’re going to miss him.”

The story has captured national attention and earned some praise for the heroic dog. Many have shared the story on social media, and national news outlets have picked it up.

This is not the first time a heroic dog has gotten some viral attention. Back in November, The Inquisitr reported on a Minnesota family who lost their home in a house fire but were able to escape unhurt thanks to their dog, Milo. Family members said that Milo began barking in the middle of the night, leading Carrie Hansen and her husband, Dave, to shoo the dog from their bedroom. Milo then began to howl, promoting the couple to investigate and leading them to the fire that was spreading in their garage.

The couple was left with significant damage and lost personal belongings in the fire, but thanks to Milo, they escaped with their lives.

This is the picture of Zippy, the dog that saved a Bradenton family from a fire pic.twitter.com/j4ogVKOn4N

— John Rogers (@JohnRogers8News) September 17, 2019

In Florida, firefighters were able to recover the body of Zippy after the fire was extinguished.