Shih Tzu Saves Family From House Fire

Daisy the Shih Tzu saved the lives of her owners after she alerted them to a fire in their family’s Des Moines, Iowa, home.

A car engine apparently caught fire in their garage about 2 am on Friday.

Up until that point, Kaylee Funaro apparently considered Daisy, age 7, “laid back” and even “lazy.” That early morning, however, the dog’s determined barking woke Kaylee up even before the residence’s smoke detectors went off.

Along with Daisy, Kaylee and her parents got out of the burning house and dialed 911. “The advance warning gave firefighters enough time to contain the blaze to the garage. The garage and cars sustained $70,000 worth of damage. The home sustained minor smoke damage.”

The small dog’s big heroics not only saved her human family, but also enabled firefighters to rescue the family’s 21-year-old cat, (yes, 21) Toby.

In general, the Shih Tzu breed is considered loyal, affectionate, outgoing, and alert, including the ability to function as a very observant watchdog with the proper training.

This is just one of many examples of faithful dogs across all breeds who have intervened in house fires and other life-saving incidents. For example, in November 2012, a blind and deaf dachshund, who the family had recently adopted and who only had three legs, woke up an Oklahoma mom and her newborn son just in time to allow them to flee their cabin which had caught on fire.

In Connecticut the month before, a mixed-breed, “insane obedient” canine, who also had been adopted by a family, woke up the parents by jumping up and down on their bed to alert them that their newborn daughter had stopped breathing. Quickly arriving paramedics summoned by the parents via 911 revived the baby, and she was treated briefly at a local hospital and released.

Do stories of loyalty and devotion by man’s best friend such as Daisy the Shih Tzu and others inspire you to consider adopting a pet from a shelter? Have you ever adopted a dog before?