Four-legged hero alerts owner to house fire: 'It's a miracle,' says owner
Four-legged hero alerts owner to house fire
A Marion County homeowner credits his dog, Sally, for saving him from an early morning fire.
CITRA, Fla. - A Marion County homeowner says his dog, Sally, saved him from certain death by alerting him to an early morning house fire through her incessant barking.
Ocala Fire Rescue responded to reports of a structure fire at a unit in the Villas at Spanish Oaks, 3150 NE 36th Ave., at approximately 2:59 a.m. on Jan. 3.
Units arrived to find a mobile home with an exterior wall under a carport on fire. The owner and his dog were outside.
Peter Gatens says he was sleeping when his home caught on fire, but Sally wouldn't stop barking.
Peter Gatens with his dog, Sally.
Peter Gatens with his dog, Sally.
Peter Gatens with his dog, Sally.
"If she hadn't been barking, I'd be dead," he explains. "She kept barking, you know, "Get up! You gotta see this!' So I got up and walked out of the house, and that's when I saw it on fire."
Gatens says he walked away with a few minor burns and his life. He is calling this a miracle.
"Listen to them! They're a lot smarter than humans give them credit for and they'll save your life if you let them!"
The cause of the fire is unknown. Ocala Police Department and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded.
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