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Pit bull saves deaf boy: Ace licks his face, he escapes fire

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A deaf teenager was saved from a burning house in Indianapolis on Wednesday by his pit bull, Ace.

Without Ace, Nick Lamb very probably would not have made it out of his house alive, Indianapolis Fire Department Capt. Rita Reith told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

Lamb, 13 and legally deaf, was asleep Wednesday morning when the fire started in the garage, possibly because of an electrical problem, Reith said. Lamb’s parents were at work, and two younger siblings were at summer school.

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“This was the first time he was allowed to stay home by himself,” Reith said, “And he was so excited to have been able to do so.” But then disaster struck.

Lamb has cochlear implants, she noted, but they’re uncomfortable for him to sleep in, so he removed them. The family’s smoke detectors have flashing lights, unnoticed by the sleeping boy.

Ace came into Lamb’s room. “He kept licking his face till he woke up,” Reith said. The teenager awoke to a smoke-filled house. He put a T-shirt over his nose and mouth, went downstairs and walked out the back door of the house.

The fire destroyed the house, Reith said. “There was nothing left.” But thanks to Ace, Lamb survived. Ace was fine, and even the family’s black cat, Pixie, escaped unscathed, Reith said. No word on whether the dog saved Pixie too.

I love good dogs. Follow me at @AmyTheHub

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