Labradoodle Awakens Owner During Fire

Savvy Labradoodle awakens owner, saving him from burning cottage in California

January 16, 2007
CBS

(AP) A savvy Labradoodle has one lucky owner. Firefighters said Bella, a mix of poodle and Labrador retriever, saved the life of her owner Matt Carcerano on Monday, waking him before his Santa Cruz cottage went up in flames.

At 3:30 a.m. Bella woke Carcerano, a 32-year-old welder, with a combination of growling, whimpering and barking.

"It was weird. I was sound asleep and she made noises I'd never heard before," Carcerano said. "I opened my eyes and it was just orange."

The floor-to-ceiling wall heater in the 50-year-old, two-room cottage was on fire, and Carcerano rushed out in socks and pajamas just as the entire place went up in flames. All of his belongings were destroyed except for a few photo albums he was able to grab.

The cottage had no smoke detectors. Fire department battalion chief Mike Venezio called Bella a lifesaver.

Carcerano said he planned to take Bella for a two-hour romp on her favorite local beach, once he took care of some personal issues.

"I gotta go buy shoes," he said.

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Information from: Santa Cruz Sentinel, http://www.santacruzsentinel.com

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/16/ap/strange/mainD8MMJVV00.shtml