Puppy wakes owner to smoke in home

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake woman is thankful for her puppy who may have saved her life.

He could be considered similar to the cartoon canine superhero Underdog.

Leonora Vargas, 36, suffered a serious car accident leaving her frontal lobe severely damaged. The damage requires her to take special medications so she is able to sleep at night.

Once she takes the medication, it's hard to wake her up, she said.

Last week, Vargas's furnace malfunctioned and smoke billowed throughout her West Marina Drive home.

While she was in a dream state, her puppy, Cholo began nudging her with his nose to notify her of the smoke. She finally awoke when he began to scratch her face in desperation, she said. She called 9-1-1.

"My goodness, I saw all the smoke," Vargas said. "My dog saved my life. If it wouldn't have been for him, I would have lost my life."

The 9-1-1 dispatcher told Vargas to shut her bedroom door and place a towel between the door and the floor to prevent further smoke inhalation, she said.

Vargas was unable to close the sliding bedroom door because it was broken. She couldn't escape through the window because it was obstructed. She was left to lie low to the ground with her puppy while the Moses Lake Fire Department and the Moses Lake Police Department entered her home.

She said waiting to be rescued from the bedroom floor was difficult because she has asthma. It was hard for her to breath.

Vargas and Cholo finally emerged from the smoke laden home with the help of an officer, she said.

Vargas was given oxygen and was treated for her asthma outside her residence. She said Cholo is recovering well from the smoke inhalation.

The 3-month-old pit bull and collie mixed puppy was originally purchased by Vargas as a means of protection because she lives alone.

Vargas said he does his job.

"I owe him a lot," she said. "If it wouldn't have been for my puppy, I wouldn't have realized there was smoke coming from my furnace."