Dog Helps Save Family from Fire
by Rocco Vertuccio
photo by Andrew Heinze
Published Feb 04, 2008
R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
(link to view video)
A Livingston County family is alive thanks to their dog. He is being credited with saving the family when their Lima house caught fire early Monday morning.
They say a dog is man's best friend. Maverick, is so much more than that to his family. The one-year old Rottweiler mix is now being called a hero.
When David Weaver and Monica Auchmoedy's Lima house caught fire early Monday morning, everyone was sleeping, except for Maverick. He started to wake everyone up even before the smoke detectors went off.
"He woke up my daughter first by jumping on her. He's just a puppy," says Auchmoedy.
Maverick then went to wake up David and Monica.
"He come in scratching on the door and wanted to get in. In your bedroom? Yeah, he's the hero," says Weaver.
Maverick's quick thinking saved David, Monica, her daughter, and three other family members.
"The smoke was so thick you couldn't even see," says Weaver.
Everyone was safe. But everything the family owns is destroyed. Some bad luck for a family who just moved to the area eight months ago from Saugerties, New York for a fresh start.
"We'll be alright, one way or another," says Weaver.
Ironically when the family got Maverick four months ago, they were not sure they should get a dog. No one is doubting it now.
"He is definitely sticking around," says Weaver.