Exclusive: A DOG has been hailed a hero after a Lassie-style intervention during a fire in the early hours of this morning.
Glenties Fire Service attended a vehicle fire this morning at 4am at Church Road in the town.
A neighbour was awakened by the barking of his dog who continued to annoy him until the owner got out of his bed and subsequently notice the blaze and called the emergency services.
On arrival the Fire Service extinguished the vehicle which was near other vehicles in the estate.
A Glenties Fire Service spokesman told Donegal Daily: “The owner of the dog said that the dog began barking loudly and entered the room where the man was sleeping.
“It continued to torture him to get out of bed and when he finally got up it was then that he notice the car was on fire.”
Without the dog, fire officers believe many more vehicles and perhaps property could have been damaged.
“It’s like something out of a Lassie movie,” said one neighbour today, “where the dog barked and barked until someone responded.”
Gardai were also in attendance this morning but the fire is not being treated as suspicious.