Dog Nudged Owner Awake. 'Then I Saw the Flames'

Curly the dog deserves a heck of a treat after saving his owner from a house fire. A Vietnam veteran living alone in South Carolina, Brian Rand was fast asleep early Monday as his Beaufort home caught fire, per CNN. He only noticed when his best friend Curly, adopted from an animal shelter three years ago, nudged him with his nose around 1am. Getting to his feet, Rand realized his house was "overly smoky," reports WJCL. "Then I saw the flames through the side window."

Rand escaped the house with his pooch before calling 911. Fire officials note Curly was persistent, poking his owner "several times." "Right from the start, he just attached to me," Rand tells WJCL. "He picked me." The dog is getting much praise on social media. "Who's a good boy?!" writes one Facebook user, while another says Curly ought to receive the "key to the city." Rand's home might be damaged beyond repair, per a GoFundMe page, but on the bright side, Rand's war medals were salvaged. (More uplifting news stories.)