When I was seven my family adopted a dog. She was a little black cockapoo. When we got her the shelter told us that she was on her last week – we’d gotten her just in time. She was a very happy and grateful dog. And a week later, she returned the favor when someone tried to break into our garage.
Rescue dogs will often do that. We underestimate the emotional intelligence of dogs. They may be animals, but they know what is going on. My dog’s actions were not anything out of the ordinary. In fact, we often hear stories about rescue dogs who show a sense of gratitude and repayment for having their lives saved.
One Tennessee-based rescue pup was a hero by alerting her family to the fire that was raging next door. According to the fire department’s press release, the 3-year-old Belgian Malinois named Roux was wildly barking at her owner’s front door at their home in Franklin, Tennessee.
Owner Jeff LeCates noted that it was quite unusual all the racket that Roux was making. The owner knew that something wasn’t right, and when he opened the door to check it out, Roux ran out the door. She went straight past Jeff and headed for the neighbor’s house.
That is when Jeff realized that the house was on fire. He immediately followed Roux and began to pound on the door, trying to get the family’s attention. Thanks to Roux’s alert and Jeff’s actions, the family of three and their pets managed to get out unharmed. Jeff even used a garden house on the fire until the fire department showed up.
According to Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King, the cause of the fire was linked to fireworks. The fire marshal shared that video evidence showed just how the fire started – after the homeowner threw out fireworks in his garbage. Unfortunately, it resulted in about $50,000 worth of damage to the home.
While dog’s actions were heroic, they were also payback. As it turned out, the next-door neighbor is a dog groomer, and she also helped Jeff adopt Roux. After Jeff’s former German Shepherd passed away, it was the next-door neighbor that helped him get Roux – something that saved the pup’s life. Looks like it was the dog’s turn to save hers and her family’s.
