Service Dog Dials 911 During Fire And Saves Blind Owner's Life By Pulling Her From The House

August 18, 2015

A heroic service dog saved the day by dialing 911 and pulling her blind owner to safety after the home they shared in Philadelphia caught fire.

dog calls 911
Red Paw Emergency Relief Team

Yolanda, a Golden Retriever, called 911 on a specialized phone and alerted authorities about the blaze and firefighters responded.

Maria Colon, who has been blind since 1992, said she woke up to her house on fire. Colon said when service dogs are trained, the word "danger" is used frequently. So she shouted "danger" over and over to get her service dog, Yolanda, to help her.

service dog calls 911
NBC

After her owner was safe, Yolanda was rewarded with food, toys, treats and supplies, according to the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team's Facebook page. The group, which provides help to pets displaced by fires and other residential disasters, said Yolanda has been a hero before.

Red Paw Emergency Relief wrote: "The crazy part, this is not the first time she's call 9-1-1 for her owner! Last year Yolanda's owner fell in the house and was unconscious, she called 9-1-1 then too! Yolanda is a superhero!"

As it turns out, this is the third time (at least) that Yolanda has come to the rescue.

In 2013, Yolanda began growling when she heard two men talking downstairs while her owner was asleep, NBC 10 reported. She closed the bedroom door and chased the burglars out of the home, but not before they turned on the gas on the stove. When Yolanda's owner realized what was happening, she called police. They were already on the way because Yolanda had contacted them via her special phone.