A family dog’s incessant noises in the middle of the night, which at first were an annoyance to his owners, proved to be a life-saver when it was discovered that natural gas was filling the house due to an unchecked burner on the stove.
Jack Damrill and his family, who reside in Oklahoma City, were attempting to sleep at approximately two a.m., but were being kept awake by the persistent barking and whimpering of their St. Bernard, Doree. Following in suit were the family cats, and after the 160-pound dog went directly into Damrill’s bedroom and began to pace persistently, Mamrill to get up and investigate why the pets were so noisy.
He soon began to smell the enveloping natural gas, discovering that the stove setting had been left on low. He quickly turned off the stove and called 911. The firefighters who responded to the call indicated that had Damrill ignored the noises, the house likely would have exploded from the buildup of the natural gas. Even if that hadn’t taken place, the possibility of the entire family (and the pets) dying from asphyxiation was a real possibility.
As a reward, Damrill is very strongly considering the purchase of a steak for the heroic dog, since he said that she likes regular food in particular and was more than deserving. The incident was the latest in a long list of examples of animals being able to communicate with humans, even though they lack the ability to actually speak out.