Firefighters chased a dog who kept running back into burning home while owner was away — then an incredible discovery revealed why he wouldn’t stop
Fires can take everything from a family in minutes, but even in such loss, moments of love and loyalty can shine through. On February 21, 2023, in Detroit, a family of six watched their home burn to the ground. In the middle of the chaos, their dog, Blue, kept charging back toward the flames, no matter how many times he was pulled away. No one could understand why until the firefighters noticed someone trapped inside.
Reportedly, the fire started when another tenant’s children were playing with a lighter inside the family’s duplex. Two of Janet Kelly’s daughters and their uncle were home when the flames broke out. "I got a phone call that the house was on fire. My fiancé's brother was at the home, and he's the one that called." Janet shared with USA Today. "He was trying to rush and get the dog, the kids, and everybody out of the house."
One of the daughters and her uncle managed to escape, but the then one-year-old Chantal was still trapped inside. Janet and her fiancé, DaQuan Davis, rushed home to find their house engulfed in flames. “Everything is gone, that’s really all I can say,” Janet said afterward. “We’ve been in our van piled up, just living in there.”
When firefighters followed Blue into the house, they discovered why he refused to stay outside. Inside the smoke-filled room, Blue had found baby Chantal still in her playpen. He barked until rescuers reached her, circling and refusing to leave. “He knew Chantal, my youngest, was in her playpen,” Janet said. “The firefighters had to chase him up, and once they got up there, they realized that was going on.” Thanks to him, the baby was rescued without injury. The family had adopted Blue two years earlier from Detroit Dog Rescue, where he had been found starving on the streets.
After the fire, the Kellys were left with almost nothing. The Red Cross helped cover a few nights in a hotel, and a kind stranger offered them an Airbnb for a short while, per TODAY. “No dogs are allowed at a shelter, and I refuse to leave Blue because God knows where my family would be without him,” Janet said. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take their family cat, Smokey, with them because there wasn’t enough room. But Blue and Janet go over to their damaged house to play with him. DaQuan’s landscaping work had to pause for the season, leaving the family struggling to get by. They spent several nights in their van, trying to stay warm with Blue curled up close.
“If there are any landlords out there willing to give us a chance and help us out,” Janet said. “I truly just want my kids to be safe and warm and to be kids. Not worry about where we are sleeping every night.” Their daughters are eager to return to school, and DaQuan hopes work will pick up soon. "I'm a landscaper, so hopefully when the sun comes around, I can keep the money rolling in, to keep us stable," said DaQuan, per FOX 2 Detroit. The family also started a GoFundMe campaign to help them get back on their feet until work becomes stable again. As for Blue, he’s become more than a pet; he’s their guardian.