"They said if we had not acted so quickly, one-third of the house would have been lost," said his owner, Todd Lavoie.
An 11-year-old pug was crowned the unlikely hero of one Idaho town after saving his family from a house fire.
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Earlier this week, Jaxson — the elderly pug from Meridian — was awarded the Hometown Hero award at a town hall meeting after heroically alerting his owners to a fire that had begun in the home.
His owner, Todd Lavoie, fitted him with a tiny firefighter's helmet as a representative from the city presented him with "dog-appropriate" treats.
"[The Hometown Hero award] is presented on the fourth day of October to Jaxson the pug in recognition of his quick thinking and selfless actions to protect his family," a representative said as she honored the elderly pug.
Lavoie recalled rushing downstairs one evening when Jaxson, his elderly pug, began barking at an "irregular tone and cadence," he recalled, according to a press statement.
That's when he noticed his dog barking at a small fire that began in his home. He was able to put out the fire within moments.
Chief Mark Niemeyer from the Meridian Fire Department told InsideEdition.com, "What we found was an electrical outlet in the house [that] started sparking and catching fire. That's how the pug had got involved — he notified the homeowners by going crazy and barking."
While the home only suffered minimal damages that were repaired within days, Niemeyer said if he hadn't responded sooner, the fire could have escalated and caused irreversible damages.
"As crazy as this sounds, there's no doubt the dog helped save the home," Niemeyer said.
Impressed by Jaxson's reaction, Niemeyer said he and the fire department recommended the pug to be given the Hometown Hero award, and even presented the dog with the honor himself.
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"They said if we had not acted so quickly, one-third of the house would have been lost," Lavoie said on Jaxson's behalf. "[We have] so much to be thankful for. Pugs are going to be the new fire dogs."
As if to reinforce the point, Niemeyer even pointed to someone in the audience who held up a sign that read: "Pug for president."
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