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Nina, our hero

Our Nina is a hero, she saved me and our home form a kitchen fire last November... you see, I suffer from a debilitating illness and that particular day was a terrible one for me, I was making my way upstairs to take my meds and a nap, but she wouldn't move (she follows me everywhere I go), so, I made it back to find her sitting by the kitchen entrance crying as if in pain, as soon as I got there, she grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the back door... I turned to look in the direction she was looking at ... the stove was in flames!.... I tried to open the oven (which was engulfed in flames) but Nina wouldn't let me get close to it, so I grabbed the phone and dial 911 as I was been pulled towards the door by her, and the operator told me to get out and take my dog with me (she could hear Nina's cries over the phone!).... So, we did!... within a minute or two (small town!), the firefighters were at home and we were outside waiting...

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the fire fighters discovered a leak in the gas pipe going to the oven, one of them did tell me "Have your dog not interfered by not letting you open the oven, you, your dog and home would have probably blown to pieces... you've got a special dog there, she saved you and your home!". You know what?.... Nina had never had any formal training ... and if she had not been as persistent as she was, I could have gone, taken my meds, fallen asleep and we would certainly not be here now!.... What was lost?... the stove... some paint work needed for the walls and the heavy duty fans from the fire department to clear the house from all the smoke!.... One more thing... we have a gas station right next to us... so, Nina may have saved more lives than just mine and hers after all!

We got Shiloh after wards to be her playmate and companion. In town, she got free grooming from her groomer (took all the smoke smell off her coat!) and free training for an expert trainer that lives nearby as a reward for her heroism... from me?... she's got a "get-out-of-jail" pass for life and the eternal love and gratitude of a family who did not loose their mom and home that day!

I hope you like her photos, and thank you for taking the time to read our story!

Thanks!

Sandy Nosseir

Hubbard, OH

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