A dog named Boo is being hailed a hero after saving owner Mark Morris from what would have been almost certain death.
Early Sunday, around 3 a.m., Morris, the former police chief of Kosse, Texas, got wind that something might be wrong.
Morris was alone with his dog in the home he and his wife, Laine, a Limestone County jail sergeant, had been building for years out in the country.
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“I heard the dog barking and I went downstairs to see what was going and the back of the house was on fire,” Morris told KWTX-TV.
“I turned around and it was engulfed,” he said. “I had to break thru a window to try to get out. By the time I got out, the whole house was in flames. It was gone in a matter of minutes.”
Morris was able to get Boo out right away, but he had to break out through a window, severely cutting and burning himself in the process. His daughter later wrote about his injuries in a Facebook post on the “What’s Happening in Limestone County, TX” page.
“Being trapped resulted in him sustaining 3rd degree burns to his head and face along with 2nd degree burns on his neck, shoulders, back and upper arms,” Heather Allen shared.
“He further had to have 35 stitches in his left foot, leg, knee and both hands due to being cut from escaping out the window.”
Volunteer firefighters for the rural area arrived about 30 minutes after the call was placed. Morris commended their efforts but said there wasn’t much to be done because it burned so quickly.
“They did a fine job, but we’re way out here,” he said. “By the time they got here all they could really do was dump water on the ashes and try to keep the grass from catching fire and save my tractors.”
That wasn’t the worst part. Since the house was still technically under construction, insurance companies wouldn’t insure it, so the Morrises lost everything — except Mark and Boo.
“None of it was insured,” Morris said.
Allen has since shared that her father has been a cop since 1976 and that any donations would be gratefully received. She has shared PayPal and Venmo links for people to help the Morrises rebuild.
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Mark has been surprised by just how many people have reached out.
“I’ve been amazed by the people who have said they want to help,” he said. “They want to bring us clothes and stuff, but right now, we don’t have anywhere to put it.”
Thankfully, no lives were lost, and with the help of the community, the Morrises might be back on track in the near future.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.