Dog News

Hero pit bull wakes family during house fire, tries to drag baby to safety

by Amy Drew

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When flames began to overtake the Stockton, CA, apartment building where she lives, Sasha — an 8-month old pit bull — flew into action. Her owner, Nana Chaichanhda, was inside with her infant daughter.

Sasha alerted Chaichanhda about the danger even before she was aware of it.

“I was awaken by my pit bull pup Sasha banging and crying at my backyard door. Little did I know, Sasha would become my hero,”Chaichanhda wrote on a GoFundMe page after losing her home in the fire.

The four-plex partially destroyed, but Sasha’s family made it out safe due to her swift action.

“My neighbors home was totally destroyed, and the fire was quickly spreading to my unit,” the mother wrote. “[Sasha] was trying to warn us of the fire. I got out of bed to see what was going on. At that moment I opened the back door and Sasha ran into our home, straight into our bedroom.”

Confused at first, Chaichanhda then realized her cousin’s apartment — right next door — was burning.

“I ran into the bedroom, where Sasha was already dragging my 7-month-old baby off the bed by her diaper,” she wrote. “Thanks to Sasha we were able to get out safe and call 911.”

Firefighters arrived, quashing the flames, but two apartments — Chaichanhda’s and her cousin’s — were destroyed. They are staying with relatives in one of the remaining units, WTVR-TV reported.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to save most of the building. Chaichanhda and her cousin’s apartment were destroyed in the blaze. The family is now staying with relatives who live in one of the surviving apartments, CBS affiliate WTVR-TV reports.

Chaichanhda believes Sasha is what ultimately kept her and her daughter safe. She hopes their story helps change the negative perception of pit bulls.

“I owe her everything. If it wasn’t for her, I would have still been in bed and things could have taken a worse turn,” she said.