Barbara Tollison has had Buddy, a 3-year-old Pit Bull Terrier, living with her for two years. She describes him as more of a 56-pound Chihuahua because he is more like a timid lapdog than a dog that is known as a fighting breed.
When Ms. Tollison awoke early one morning, she smelled smoke. After quickly checking the house, she discovered that there was a fire in one of the bedrooms. Tollison
awakened her sister, who was visiting her at the time, and she and Buddy ran outside.
When Buddy saw that Tollison’s sister, Jane Ellol, was had not left the house, he
ran back in and straight to her room. Buddy found that Ellol was struggling to get
out. Arthritis prevents her from moving quickly when she first awakens and being
in an unfamiliar house, she became disoriented in the smoke. The sounds of Buddy
whining lead Ellol out of her room and to the door where her sister pulled her out
of the house.
Tollison cannot remember why she woke up, but believes that Buddy must have aroused
her from her sleep. Once the family was safely outside, a terrified Buddy took off
down the road and disappeared. He was found about five hours later in another county
by his tags.
It will be many weeks before Tollison's home is livable. Once they are back home and settled in, she plans to buy him a jeweled collar and treat him like royalty.