Heroes Rush into Burning House to Save Dog, But Then See What's Underneath Pup
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. It could be your local police or firefighters, a stranger who stops to help you with a flat tire, or a neighbor who brings you a meal when you’re sick.
But it’s not just our fellow humans who work as angels. Sometimes, it’s our four-legged friends.
Leo is a Jack Russell terrier mix. He lived in a home in Melbourne, Australia, with another dog and several cats, including four kittens who were just 4 weeks old.
The everyday assumption would be that Leo and the other dog, Barney, had little affection for the kitties.
After all, it’s no secret that dogs and cats are not typically fast friends.
But in this case, that assumption would be completely wrong. And it took a tragic situation to show that to the world.
Just before 9 p.m. one evening, a fire started in the front room of the family home.
Barney escaped, as did the people who were living in the house, which included a mother, two sisters, and brother.
But there was no sign of sweet Leo. When firefighters arrived, they made their own heroic moves, rushing into the home to search for the pooch.
Melbourne weather: Saturday’s scorcher puts the heat on firefighters https://t.co/fq4DDYkezL via @billballentine pic.twitter.com/HByYRozXMW
— Bill Ballentine (@billballentine) January 7, 2018
At first, there was no sign of him, but soon they spotted something. There was Leo, unconscious on the floor.
But there was more — and it was the reason Leo had stayed. Underneath Leo were the four kittens; he had used his body to shield them from the danger.
Firefighters brought the animals outside, and there they gave Leo oxygen and chest compressions.
To everyone’s delight, the pup, who was later given the nickname “Smoky,” soon regained consciousness.
Still, it wasn’t until the firefighters brought the kittens to Leo that he seemed to truly be happy. He licked their faces, relieved that all were alive and well.
Leo’s story has since been shared around the world, with animal lovers expressing gratitude to the firefighters who selflessly saved Leo and the kittens, as well as to Leo for giving everything he had to help others.
A suggestion from one reader to Leo’s human? “Steak dinner from now on, please.”
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