Like many kids, Andrew Davis and his sister, Clara, wanted to have a dog as a pet.
Their parents, Nola and Richard, surprised them one day when they brought home Patches — the new family puppy, reports Little Things.
Andrew and Clara were elated to have Patches in the family, and everything went smoothly — until Patches began to grow.
The parents hadn’t taken into consideration the breed of their new dog, not thinking about how large it would get. They eventually decided their home was too small for such a large dog, and at a family meeting they announced that Patches had to go.
Andrew protested the decision, and Nola agreed to delay the final decision for a few days.
It turns out the decision to delay was a fateful one. That same night, as Nola was taking a bath, Patches charged into the bathroom and gently grabbed her by the wrist. Suspecting Patches was trying to tell her something, she got out of the tub, opened the door, and saw the house was on fire.
Like Lassie in the movies, Patches led Nola through the maze of flames until they were safely outside the house, where the rest of the family was waiting.
Once outside, Nola tried to go back in. Fortunately for her, Patches blocked her entry and would not allow her to go back into the inferno that she had just escaped. A few minutes later, the house exploded.
As a result of the canine’s heroic efforts, Patches was given an award by the Red Cross. And the Davis family decided to keep Patches.