A formerly-lost dog is making headlines after saving a family from a blaze that erupted outside their home. Soon after an image from the incident gained traction on social media, the stray dog was identified by his original owner—leading to a remarkable reunion.
Losing a pet is devastating yet all-too-common. According to the animal-welfare organization American Humane, "approximately 10 million pets are lost in the United States" annually—millions of whom end up in shelters. "Only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats in shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners," they added.
Charity Golloway and her two children live in Big Stone Gap, a town in southwestern Virginia. Earlier this year, a friendly pup—which they nicknamed "Butter"—showed up around their home.
Golloway posted a picture of Butter to see if she could identify his owner, reported The Western Journal. However, when nobody claimed him, Golloway decided to set up a dog house for him in her front yard.
A few months later, on December 2, Golloway was awoken to the sound of Butter barking outside her window. A fire had erupted in the dog's shelter, and it was quickly spreading to their house.
"He knew something wasn't right and that someone needed to know," explained Golloway to WJHL. "He's a smart dog."
"The flames just got big really fast," she added. "It's overwhelming actually how fast it happened."
Firefighter Justin Stidham from the Valley Volunteer Fire Department told the news outlet that the blaze originated from an electric lamp that Golloway had placed near Butter's shelter in an effort to keep him warm.
"If [it] wasn't for that dog, that house would've been lit up all throughout the ceiling, and we would've been there for hours fighting that house," said Stidham.
Upon hearing Butter's warning, Golloway's son promptly extinguished the fire using a garden hose. Luckily, the house sustained only minimal damage—and all of its residents were safe.
The remarkable story doesn't end there. Following the incident, a photo of Butter with first responders gained traction on Facebook, reported WJHL. Among those who saw the photo were Butter's original owners, who promptly reached out to Golloway.
Butter—whose real name is "Cooper"—became lost earlier this year after running away. Now, Galloway and his owners are coordinating his return home.
"He's going to be leaving us and that makes me want to cry, but I'm happy for him," said Golloway, per WJHL. "We will be staying in touch."
Newsweek reached out to the Valley Volunteer Fire Department for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
