A DOG NAMED TRUE

Here's another story about an ordinary dog who turned into a real hero.  This dog is named True, and he lives in Grady County, Oklahoma.  He was adopted by a woman named Katie Crawley, who is a dog groomer.  True's owners didn't want him anymore because he was deaf and mostly blind, so Ms. Crawley adopted him.  "I felt he deserved a chance just like any 'normal' dog," she said.  "I taught him sign language and he has the best personality."  True lost his leg after he was hit by a car.  It's the left hind leg, but you can't see that in this picture.

Photo credit KFOR-TV

A couple of months ago, Ms. Crawley had a baby boy named Jace, but he was born with a heart problem, so he had to spend four weeks in NICU, which is what they call Intensive Care for babies.  Then finally Jace got to come home from the hospital.

Three weeks later, while Jace and his mom were sleeping one night, True started barking a whole bunch and trying to wake  them up.  Ms. Crawley thought maybe True needed to go outside to potty, so she went to the front door and opened it, and she was shocked to see a big fire right out there on her front porch!  So she grabbed up little Jace, and the two of them and True found their way through the smoke to the back door and managed to get out.

Their whole cabin that they lived in got totally burned up, including all of Jace's little baby clothes and toys and the medicine and stuff he had from the hospital to help take care of him.  Their money got burned up and a set of antique dishes and pretty much everything they owned.  But because of True, the brave little dachshund, they got out alive, so that was the good part.

Lots of people in the community have helped the Crawleys by giving them food and clothes and money and baby things for Jace.  Ms. Crawley says she is very thankful for everything people have done for her, and she is especially thankful for her her little dog True, her "guardian angel."