ARCHIVE DACHER NEWS AUGUST 2009

NEWS FLASH!!

Local Boating Dog a Hero After Alerting La Playa Residents to House Fire

"A local dog is being called a hero today by San Diego Fire Officials after he alerted his owner that a neighbor’s house was on fire last Thursday, allowing the occupants to escape without injuries. Sandra Angel, the dog’s owner was sleeping soundly in her La Playa neighborhood home until about 2:30 a.m. She awoke when her dog began to paw at her bed insistently.

"My dog, Cabrillo came to my bedside very agitated,” Angel said. "He kept going to the window and coming back to the bed, then scratched at the mattress and tugged at my sleeve to make sure I got up. That's when I smelled smoke. I got out of bed and saw a smoky haze with the glow of a fire from the house a few doors away."

Sleeping tenants were roused and quickly urged out of the home while Angel alerted other neighbors, worried that elderly residents nearby would need more time to get out safely. “It’s scary when it happens in the middle of the night,” Angel said, “but you get focused pretty fast when you realize you might have just minutes to save a few precious belongings and get to safety.”

The fire’s hero is a Portuguese Water Dog named Cabrillo, a centuries-old breed loved by yachtsmen. Boating is in the blood of these animals, known for assisting fisherman with hauling nets, herding fish, retrieving items lost overboard and even swimming messages between boats in the days before radios. When fog rolled in, they sat on the bow listening and barking as a sort of primitive radar system. In fact the breed nearly became extinct in the 20th century as modern electronics diminished fisherman’s need for the dogs.

“He’s a smart dog, and you’re lucky he picked up on the danger” said Batallion Chief David Williams, expressing his appreciation for the dog and his owner’s quick action before the fire burned out of control.

Police are still investigating the cause of the fire which started in the attic at 438 Rosecrans, destroying the roof and some of the contents. Firefighters from Point Loma Station 22 and local Police responded quickly, preventing the fire from spreading to nearby homes. They remained at the scene for several hours."

Cabrillo is a nearly two year old PWD male that we bred (Ch Dacher's Braveheart "Gibson"/Ch Dacher's Nobreza Dare Devil "Darby") and the above information is provided by his proud owner Sandra Angel. He was awarded a medal by the San Diego Fire Rescue and made an Honorary Fire Dog. His only comment was "PWDs rock".

Cabrillo Driving Firetruck

Cabrillo in Firetruck

Cabrillo and Proud Owners Sandra and Charles

Cabrillo Sandra and Charles



NBC San Diego News Video of Cabrillo

A Brief 15 Second Ad Precedes the Clip
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Meet-Cabrillo-Our-New-Hero.html