Meet the Dog Who Saved a One-Year-Old Girl When Their Detroit Home Burst Into Flames

A Detroit family credits their rescue dog for saving their one-year-old toddler after their home caught fire last month.

Janet Kelly is a mother of four. She and the children, along with her fiancé, are now living in the family's mini-van after the duplex they were renting burned. Kelly tells WJBK-TV that the fire started when the other tenant's children were playing with a lighter.

"Everything is gone that's really all I can say," said Janet Kelly. "We've been in our van piled up just living in there."

 

Rescue Dog Rescues Baby Girl

Kelly tells the TV station that two of her daughters were home with their uncle when the home went up in flames. The oldest girl and the uncle made it out safe but one-year-old Chantal was still inside the house.

Blue is the family's dog that they adopted from an animal shelter a couple of years ago. Kelly credits the pooch for saving her baby.

"He went running back into the house because he knew Chantal, my youngest was in her playpen," Janet said. "The firefighters had to chase him up and once they got up there, they realized that was going on."

Kelly says she's convinced that Blue saved the little girl's life.

No Dogs Allowed at the Shelter

The fire destroyed nearly all the family's possessions. The Red Cross covered a motel for a few days but now the family of six is living in their vehicle. Kelly says dogs aren't allowed at homeless shelters and she and her kids are not about to part with Blue, especially after the heroic rescue.

"God knows where my family would be without him," Janet said.

A GoFundMe page has been established for the family. At the time of this publication, more than $101,000 has been raised for the family, surpassing the $100,000 goal.