DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Virginia – Firefighters are crediting two dogs with rescuing a 10-year-old boy during the fire in the Dinwiddie County trailer.
“These two dogs are heroes,” said fire chief Dinwiddie, Dennis Hale.
Hale says the call came to the Dinwiddie County office as a fully ignited home fire with a child inside.
The firefighters from Dinwiddie County were not thinking about the fire as they headed for the trailer.
“The whole time you’re responding, you know the comments are, ‘there’s a child in the residence,'” said Hale.
Upon arrival, firefighters reported seeing flames coming out of the front of the trailer.
But the child in the house escaped, thanks to two brindle pitbulls.
The boy ran across the street to his neighbor’s house, telling Ray Dawson that he was sleeping.
“He was as obscene as he could be, just soiling his nose, his whole face, his hands,” said Dawson. “He said his dogs got in there and started jumping on him and woke him up.”
“He was sleeping and his two dogs went into his room and started jumping and feeling his chest and it woke him up,” added Hale.
Facing smoke and flames, the boy escaped through the window.
“He kept his cool and obviously he knew the fire would be between him and his normal door, he knew he should go the other way. He did exactly what he should have done,” said Hale.
The two pit bulls were unable to leave.
“They all loved those dogs,” said Dawson. “They saved the boy, they saved him.”
“They both died like heroes, basically,” added Hale.
The 10-year-old boy was taken to the VCU Medical Center for smoke inhalation. He must recover.
The Red Cross has been called and is helping the family with a temporary place to stay.