Heroic dog who alerted family in Morrison house fire found dead days later

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A family was sleeping in their Morrison home when they woke to their dog, Cuddles, alerting them of a fire that broke out inside. The family was able to get out safely, but FOX31 has learned the Chihuahua was found dead inside the destroyed home days later.

West Metro Fire Rescue responded to a house fire on Wednesday morning, which they believed had started on the back porch before moving inside. They said it burned through the family room floor and caused extensive damage to the first and second floors. Even a neighboring house sustained heat exposure.

The family escaped the flames, but after the chaos, Cuddles was nowhere to be found.

Crews said they searched the home several times but couldn’t find Cuddles. Meanwhile, neighbors put out a dog bed and food nearby thinking Cuddles might have run away. The West Metro firefighters also posted pictures of the pup, hoping someone would find her.

However, after almost three days of searching for the hero, FOX31’s Greg Nieto reported that family and friends said Cuddles was found dead inside the house.

Nieto said Cuddles is credited with saving her family’s lives by alerting them of the fire so they could escape the flames in time.

As of Wednesday, West Metro Fire said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

A GoFundMe has been established for the family as they recover from the fire and the loss of their pup.

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