From the MAIDENHEAD ADVERTISER 30th June 2000
Hero Hound Saves Owner From Blaze
by Kathryn Lay
Lucky escape for OAP say firemen
A Tiny terrier was hailed a hero this week after saving his owner from her
blazing flat.
Little Sam, a West Highland terrier, woke pensioner Greta Broadley by pawing
her face as smoke filled her flat in North Town Mead, Maidenhead, in the early
hours of Sunday.
The hero hound had only lived with Mrs Broadley, 64, for eight days after she
adopted him from Binfield Dog Rescue.
Sub-officer Paul Shoebridge, of Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said "Mrs
Broadley had a very, very lucky escape. There is no doubt the dog saved her
life. If she had been asleep for another five or ten minutes ther would have
been a very different outcome."
Mrs Broadley woke to find her smoke alarm sounding and escaped from the
blazing flat with Sam to a neighbour's home where she called the fire brigade.
Fire engines arrived at 4.47am to find the lounge on fire and the rest of the
flat badly damaged by smoke.
Mrs Broadley said: "I would never have woken up if it hadn't been for Sam's
barking. I am very proud of him. He is a little smasher. I am so glad I got
him and he is being spoiled with nothing but tuna and chicken now."
Mrs Broadley had the chance to be re-housed by the Royal Borough council but
turned it down because Sam could not have gone with her. She is staying with
her daughter Mary and son-in-law Norman Taylor at the moment and hopes to
return to her flat within a couple of months.
Mr Taylor said: "We are very grateful to Sam. The fireman said he found a
dusty outline of Greta on the bed where the soot had started to settle. She
was very lucky to get out and she even tried to get back in to rescue her
Budgie but was stopped. Sam is a special fellow. She did not want to be
parted from him especially now".
Paul Johnson, manager of Binfield Dog Rescue where Sam came from, said "I and
very pleased Sam was so settled with his new owner that he felt protective of
her already. He obviously went to the right home".
The cause of the fire is being investigated. Firefighters have repeated advice
about fitting smoke alarms within earshot and keeping them maintained.
My Hero: Mrs Broadley with her saviour, Sam the West Highland terrier
Photo by Matthew Phillips
Page updated: 24-04-2009
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