On Wednesday morning, as deadly smoke quietly filled a house on Whispering Willow Drive in Spring, Texas, two of the home's occupants slumbered on.
The third resident, a dog named "Timber," was awake and aware of the danger growing inside of her family's home.
According to Wednesday's KHOU News, Timber, a chocolate Labrador retriever, set out to wake her guardian, Sloan Nagy.
In an effort to rouse Nagy, Timber tried to nudge her.
Nagy describes her dog's efforts:
“She took her nose and was just nudging me,”
“Normally if I say Timber, stop, she’ll leave.”
“She wasn’t stopping. She was waking me up,”
The persistence paid off. Sloan Nagy and her three-year-old daughter, as well as the hero of the story, Timber, were all able to escape from the smoke filled house.
Firefighters who responded were able to extinguish the fire, which has originated in a heater in the attic of the house. According to the fire officials, the family had escaped in the nick of time.
The heater was on the brink of crashing through the ceiling and into the hallway - something which would have trapped the occupants inside of their rooms.
Timber's heroics are even more touching because technically, she should not even be alive right now.
Since May, the devoted dog has been battling terminal cancer. Her family has been taking her to and from Texas A&M for radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
The pricey care has run in to the thousands, but it has extended Timber's life beyond the estimated few months that she was originally given.
Nagy plans on throwing a party for her special dog, to show her, once again, just how much she is loved.
It is a rescue story come full circle. Nagy rescued Timber after Hurricane Rita and then invested thousands to extend the dog's life. Timber just returned the favor...
She told KHOU News:
I just love her, and I don’t want to lose her,
If you would like to continue receiving the latest dog related news, tips and advice, please click the "Subscribe" icon which is located at the bottom of this column. It is free and anonymous to sign up.
Follow the National Dog News Examiner on Facebook and Twitter!
I am human, if you see a typo, please let me know. Questions, comments or story ideas can be emailed to Eims1@live.com.
Comments