An 11-year-old dog in the US has been honoured with the 'Hometown Hero Award', normally given to a person, for saving his family's house from burning down by barking with unusual urgency to alert his owners.
Jaxson, a pug, is the first animal ever to receive such award. He is being honoured by Meridian city in Idaho with the award which is normally given to a person.
He has been credited with saving his family from an electrical fire in their home that potentially could have been fatal, according to the city of Meridian, the ABC news reported.
The mayor of Meridian, Tammy de Weerd, presented the pooch with the city's 'Hometown Hero Award' this week.
The city of Meridian says Jaxson started persistently barking in an "irregular tone and cadence" on the night of August 29.
When Jaxson's owner, Todd Lavoie, heard the barking, the city said he rushed downstairs to investigate the commotion.
He noticed sparks from an outlet and its sole power strip.
The Hometown Hero' award is given to a person for their "outstanding bravery" and "heroic values of courage, compassion, character, initiative and responsibility," the city said.
"Lavoie quickly lunged toward the outlet to prevent the fire from starting but it was too late," says the city of Meridian.
Lavoie used a fire extinguisher to knock down the fire and shut off power to the home.
Meridian Fire responded to the incident to check for any hot spots that may be lingering.
Firefighters say if it was not for the pooch, the house, its contents, lives and memories would have been greatly damaged as Lavoie would not have been notified about the fire until the fire alarms were tripped.
The pug's family said they were "very thankful" for his actions that night and "know the fire could have been much worse if it were not for Jaxson," the city said.
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