Dog Saved From Flames By Royal Oak Police

ROYAL OAK, MI — First responders are often labeled “heroes.” For one Royal Oak dog, that title is well-deserved. Police officers were called to the scene of a house fire on May 3 and quickly discovered it was unoccupied — except for “Abbie.”

Neighbors called in the fire and officers arrived at the home in the 600 block St. Charles Court at 11:46 p.m. Police reports said officers forced their way into the home after no one responded to their knocks on a locked door. The porch area at the front of the home was engulfed in fire when they arrived.

Once inside, officers were able to confirm no one was in the home. They did, however, discover Abbie scared and trapped in a ground level room of the home. Uninjured, Abbie, was brought out to safety by the officers. Police reports said the homeowner, who was out for the evening, was called and soon reunited with Abbie.

The Royal Oak Fire Department was able to save the home. Fire Marshal Andrew Blevins said that the fire started from a lit cigarette and was contained to the home’s covered front porch, according to a Royal Oak Review report.

“It was a discarded cigarette, and it was tossed into a wastebasket that was on the porch,” he told the newspaper. Blevins said there was no damage to the inside of the house. “We have had a lot of fires on porches and decks due to careless smoking.”

Photo courtesy of the Royal Oak Police Department