Heroic Dog Saves Owner's House From Fire

Five-year-old Buddy guided a team of Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to the property in a remote area some 55 miles north of Anchorage.

His owner, Ben Heinrichs, 23, was working on his truck inside his garage when a spark ignited near some fuel and caught fire, setting his clothes alight.

Mr Heinrichs managed to run outside, closing the door to stock the fire from spreading, and rolled in the snow to extinguish the flames on his clothes.

But he suddenly remembered the dog was still in the workshop and ran back to fetch him.

While Buddy escaped unscathed, his owner suffered minor burns on his face and second-degree burns on his left hand.

The dog subsequently ran off after his master said he needed help.

He was found on a road by the Alaskan police who had been alerted to the fire but had got lost.

As the police were about to turn down the wrong road, they caught sight in their headlights of Buddy who made eye contact with them and raced ahead down the right road, occasionally turning round to check they were behind him.

The dog's quick reaction meant that the fire was restricted to the outbuildings and the family's home was left unscathed.

"Buddy is an untrained dog who, for some reason, recognised the severity of the situation and acted valiantly in getting help for his family," Alaskan State Trooper chief Colonel Audie Holloway said at a ceremony to honour the dog.

Buddy, whose good deed was caught on a patrol car's dashcam video, was given a smart dog bowl as a reward, and a big rawhide bone.

His owners said they had known he was clever since they first took him as a six-week-old puppy and added that he was very brave too, having twice chased bears away when Ben was fishing.

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