‘Hero’ dog found shielding unconscious owner from house fire

A US dog has been touted as a hero after he was found attempting to shield his unconscious owner from a house fire with his own body.

A post to the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team’s Facebook page on Sunday describes Philadelphia dog Shay’s valiant efforts.

Neighbours were first alerted to the fire by the sound of Shay’s barking, the post claimed.

“Neighbours stated that it’s unusual for him to be barking at that time and that (was) what woke them,” it read.

“When neighbours looked out the window they saw his house on fire. They are saying that the dog saved everyone!”

The post also claims that when firefighters entered the building, they discovered Shay “on top of his owner trying to protect her”.

Both Shay and his owner were taken to hospital, where Shay was treated for smoke inhalation.

The post includes photos of Shay sitting slumped on the ground, wearing an oxygen mask.

His owner remains in a critical condition. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Red Paw is a US-based not-for-profit volunteer group dedicated to providing relief to families and their pets displaced by domestic “disasters”.

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