11-Year-Old Pug To Be Honored For Alerting Homeowner To Electrical Fire

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A heroic 11-year-old pug named Jaxson will be honored Tuesday for alerting his owner to an electrical fire that was about to break out in their house.

On the night of Aug. 29, Jaxson began barking in an "irregular tone and cadence," CBS Boise affiliate KBOI reported. The barking prompted Jaxson's owner, Todd Lavoie, to walk downstairs, where he found sparks coming from an electrical outlet and power strip. Those sparks erupted into flames.

"Todd quickly lunged toward the outlet to prevent the fire from starting, but it was too late," the city of Meridian said in a statement.

Lavoie acted quickly to tamp the flames with a fire extinguisher and shut off power to the home. Damage to the house was kept to a minimum.

The Meridian Fire Department in the city of Meridian, Idaho, responded to the scene and monitored for hot spots. Firefighters credited Jaxson with saving the house and its contents, since Lavoie otherwise wouldn't have been aware of the fire until the alarms were triggered.

Jaxon will be presented with Meridian's "Hometown Hero" award Tuesday at 6 p.m. He's the first animal ever to receive the award.

Meridian is Idaho's second-largest city, with about 85,000 residents.