Bella and her owner were inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.
Bella joined the Larocque family when she just a little puppy, but immediately became a part of the family. She was always described as sweet, gentle, and loving, but now we can add hero to that list.
Last November, Bella's owner, Chris Larocque was home alone recovering from an automobile accident. He had sustained an ankle injury which made moving around difficult. He was in the kitchen checking on his lunch that was in the oven and as he bent down, his ankle gave way and he hit his head. As he went down, the cloth that he had in his hand grazed the element in the oven and caught fire, which quickly moved up his arm and onto his clothes.
Acting quickly, he removed his shirt and threw it against the wall, causing the kitchen walls to catch fire. Because of his injuries, he was unable to get up off of the floor so he called for Bella. The Bernese Mountain Dog sprang into action. Larocque was able to grab Bella's collar and say, "Bella, get me out of here!" The Bernie dragged him out of the house and onto his neighbor's lawn.
"Without Bella's devotion, strength and courage, I would have died in the fire that destroyed my home," Larocque said in a release.
Because of her heroic act, Bella has been inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, which honors pets that help save human lives. The family is so proud of Bella. "She is truly our family hero, and we're so happy that Bella is being recognized for her life-saving efforts by the Purina Animal Hall of Fame."