We have all heard the line: Not all heroes wear capes. Well, apparently, some wear collars.
A dog from Westchester County, New York, saved the lives of her family members after a gas leak broke out in the basement of her home Wednesday afternoon.
Sadie the pit bull was home alone when she sensed something was awry. She dug out a wooden door blocker to escape through the backyard and roamed the streets of Tuckahoe, barking nonstop.
This prompted neighbors to call 911 at 3:45 p.m. to report a loose dog. Police arrived at the scene to find Sadie, who brought them to her home.
“The dog then ran and took the officers through several streets, and then led them back to the dog’s residence into the backyard,” Police Lt. Lawrence Rotta told ABC 6.
Police walked around the house and recognized a gas odor coming from an open basement window.
Eastchester Fire Department soon responded to the report and confirmed that there was a gas leak in the basement.
“The dog saved the house from a potential gas explosion and gas leak,” Rotta said.
Sadie’s owner, Serena Costello, credits the dog with saving her and her four-year-old daughter’s lives. “She went from being in time out to being my girl,” Costello told the media. “She is a hero…she saved our lives.”
Sadie had not run out of the house once in 11 years, according to Costello. Had the dog not acted when she did, Costello and her daughter would likely have come home to a disaster.
Officers ripped up the summons they had initially written for an unleashed dog and later praised Sadie for her heroism on Facebook.
“Great work sniffing out danger and getting help,” they wrote. “If we are ever in need of a K9, we will put you at the top of our list!”