Hero Dog Named Jersey Dies After Saving A Michigan Family From House Fire

A couple from Brownstown Township, Michigan is calling their dog Jersey a hero after she saved them from a fire that destroyed their home. Sadly, the same fire ultimately took Jersey’s life after her heroic deed.

According to ABC7, the fire happened around 1:45 a.m. on September 4 after a storm caused a power outage. Since the power was out in the home, the couple was without air conditioning; therefore, Kim and Tom Zaker slept in the basement to stay cool. Their little dog Jersey remained in the upper part of the house.

The couple was sound asleep when they heard their dog Jersey scratching and barking at the door. When Tom went to check on the dog, he saw flames shooting through their the living room. Tom says he immediately went to wake his wife who was also deep asleep at that time.

“So I ran downstairs and grabbed my wife. She was in the middle of a sleep like I was.”

After Tom woke his wife, the pair went back upstairs to retrieve Jersey. Unfortunately, when they got back up the stairs, the smoke was too thick to find their beloved pet. Tom recalls the events and how smoke was so thick they were unable to see.

“It was black smoke. It filled the room all the way… the heat was so thick it was like an oven……..I couldn’t get to her [Jersey].”

KHON news reports that the couple feels that without Jersey they would not be here today. Tom said, “Jersey is my hero. She saved me and my wife, and it’s very hard.” Kim is also feeling the pain of losing her heroic pet.

“The house can be replaced, but Jersey cannot.”

The family knows that Jersey did not die in vain. In honor of Jersey’s heroic efforts to save the couple, they are determined to bring awareness to other families on the proper use of generators during power outages. The Zaker’s feel it is important for people to know the cause of this fire that took their dog’s life and almost claimed their own.

The fire started behind a TV mounted on a wall, when a surge protector caught fire. The Zakers learned too late, you’re not supposed to use surge protectors when you’re using a generator. Tom said the couple was unaware of the dangers of using surge protectors along with generators and said sharing their story will hopefully help someone else avoid a devastating fire.

This isn’t the only dog to save a family from a house fire, the Inquisitr recently reported on a chow chow named Chucky, who suffered third-degree burns after saving a family of six from a house fire.

Did you know that surge protectors are dangerous when used with a generator? If not, in honor of this hero dog, please share with friends and family so that these tragedies may be avoided.