A heroic pit bull mix has been credited with helping firefighters rescue a toddler from a burning Detroit building in February, according to TODAY.com.
The incident occurred when the property rented by Janet Kelly and her fiancé DaQuan Davis erupted in flames, according to TODAY.com.
Davis’ brother Demetrius, who was at the house at the time of the fire, quickly called the couple while supervising their children Isabella, 4, and Shantel, 14 months, the outlet reported.
Kelly described the frantic phone call, telling TODAY.com Demetrius “was like, ‘The house is on fire, you need to get home.'” Kelly added that she felt her heart drop upon hearing the news.
A pit bull mix named Blue is being hailed as a hero after he ran into a burning house to save a toddler from a fire in Detroit, Michigan.https://t.co/41a87medqp
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 28, 2023
Arriving at the building, they found the rental home completely on fire. Kelly’s daughters Zoey, 9, and Chloe, 7, who were riding in the backseat of the couple’s vehicle, started crying, believing their siblings had perished in the flames, TODAY.com reported.
Kelly found out 22 harrowing minutes later that Isabella, Shantel and Demetrius all escaped the flames, according to TODAY.com. (RELATED: Man Takes Nap On Couch Watching Sunday Football, Pit Bull Saves His Life)
Demetrius managed to get Isabella out of the house but Kelly said Blue, her pit bull mix, actually “followed Demetrius outside, then he ran back into the house for Shantel. He was protecting her no matter what,” the outlet reported.
Kelly said Blue remained at the scene, “circling around her and barking” as he alerted firefighters to Shantel’s location. She added that “he wouldn’t leave until she was out,” according to TODAY.com.
“Pit bulls have a reputation for being aggressive,” Kelly told TODAY.com before adding her opinion that “it comes down to the way they were raised. Dogs are not born wanting to bite people. Blue will bark at strangers, but once he knows you’re OK, he’ll drop onto his back for belly rubs.”