Dog Saves Family, Gets Second Chance

Now that he's a hero, Monster can stay.

Evelyn Aguilar, of Beltsville, Md., had considered getting rid of her 6-year-old Doberman because he was too expensive to feed. But after Monster saved her family from a potentially deadly fire, Aguilar has proclaimed him a permanent resident.

"We got nine kids," she said. "Make it 10 now -- because he's worth it."

Aguilar and the children, ages 3 to 14, were sleeping when Monster began barking loudly and throwing himself against a sliding glass door. When the family went to investigate, they noticed the house was on fire and quickly rushed to safety.

According to Prince George's County Fire and Rescue spokesman Mark Brady, "They had some extra time because the dog woke them up. They had time to gather all the children and get out of the house safely."

It took 30 firefighters 20 minutes to quell the blaze, which burned through the home's roof. The family lost all their belongings, but no one was hurt. And this isn't Monster's first heroic deed: Aguilar said the daring Doberman once scared away an armed burglar.