Wonder dog escapes fire
In the Bolton News today, an 11 month old puppy called Ernie is being hailed as the ‘Wonder Puppy’ after his amazing escape from a fire in his home.
Ernie is an 11 month old Rottweiler and when a fire broke out in the cooker in his terraced home’s kitchen in Tonge Moor, the dog jumped over a child’s safety gate, nosed open the upstairs window and jumped 12 feet to the ground to escape the blaze.
Passers-by were astonished to see the puppy vault from the upstairs window and he was taken care of by the All Breeds pet shop staff until his owner came home.
31 year old Steve Bowers, Ernie’s owner, commented:
“It is amazing. I always thought he was a pretty clever puppy but I didn’t expect him to be able to do that. I think it must have been instinct. He is a bit shaken after his ordeal, and smells of smoke, but he seems all right in himself. I am very proud of him. I am just glad that he is OK. We will have to do something to treat him. A big slap up steak meal or something like that.”
24 year old Stephanie Hogg, Mr Bowers’ girlfriend told the paper that they usually would lock all the windows but by pure chance, they had left the top bedroom window open by an inch so Ernie was able to nose it open and jump out.
When fire crews arrived on the scene, Watch commander Paul Norris said:
“He did very well. I have been in the fire service for 20 years and I have never seen anything like this before. Sadly, I have been to lots of incidents where dogs have died in fires.”
It is amazing what some dogs are able to do in the face of danger.
