Dog almost dies while risking his life to save kittens from a burning house

A Melbourne, Australia family of four found themselves in trouble when a fire broke out at their house. Firefighters were on hand to help the family.

They managed to get everyone out but found out that a family pet was still inside. The reason why the dog stayed behind was remarkable.

When a fire started at night, a family of four managed to escape from their blazing home. They had with them one dog.

Their second dog, Leo, a Jack Russell cross, had stayed behind in the burning building. The dog just refused to leave.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. When the firefighters arrived they entered the house and found Leo unconscious next to a litter of newborn kittens.

There was thick, acrid smoke everywhere but the dog had refused to leave the kittens unattended. The firemen took Leo outside and found that the canine had also stopped breathing.

They revived him and his rescuers gave the pet oxygen and a heart massage. The kittens, which were in a cardboard box in a bedroom, also needed treatment.

Ken Brown, a fire service commander had this to say about the incident:

“Leo wouldn’t leave the kittens, and it nearly cost him his life. Everyone’s fine. We rescued everyone.”

The reason why the fire spread unattended was that there was no smoke alarm in the house. Officials said the family was lucky to be alive.

An 11-year-old girl suffered smoke inhalation and was treated by paramedics. She had been with her mother and two brothers, aged five and 18 at home when the fire started in the front room.

The cost of the damage to the house was estimated at about $150,000. Leo was the hero of the day and the fireman gave him a fitting nickname.

The dog, which is now back home, was named Smoky. Video footage showed how the dog nursed the kittens after it was taken outside and revived.