BONNEY LAKE, Wash. — Alyssa Josephsen’s eight-month-old Dalmatian puppy, Rory wouldn’t stop whining and barking early Thursday morning. Josephsen said she was sleeping when Rory climbed out of her bed and became restless.
“She kept scratching and whining and barking at my door,” said Josephsen.
Thinking the dog had to relieve herself, Josephsen opened her bedroom door and walked into a wall of smoke.
“The entire house was filled with thick black smoke,” she said. A heating unit had caught fire and burned up the inside of a wall in the home. Josephsen said she immediately woke up her brother and his girlfriend and they got out of the house within minutes.
“If it weren’t for Rory, I’m not sure we would’ve woken up in time,” she said.
Josephsen said maintenance workers had checked the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house two months ago and determined they were working. But she said when the heater caught fire, the detectors did not make a sound. She said the incident is a reminder to check and double-check that your smoke detectors are working.
East Pierce County firefighters ensured the fire was out and replaced the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Josephsen said she had a Dalmatian as a child and is aware that the breed was historically used to assist firefighters.
“Dalmatians were originally bred for their speed and stamina, and they’re bred to be fire dogs,” said Josephsen.
But she said Rory has proven that she is more than just a firehouse mascot.
“She was meant to be my angel,” said Josephsen. “She is a life-saving dog. She’s our hero.”