A clever dog saved its owner’s life when it woke her up by licking her face – to warn that the bed was on fire.
Barbie climbed onto owner Rosemary Field, 72, in the early hours of the morning and began licking her to wake her up.
The great grandmother, a registered blind diabetic, told the Jack Russell to go back to sleep but the dog persevered.
Rosemary opened her eyes as Barbie would not stop licking her – and found her bed was on fire.
She attempted to put out the blaze – cause by a lamp falling onto her bed and setting fire to her bedding and the carpet – with a pint glass of water.
But the smoke was too severe and Rosemary was forced to flee the home with Barbie, her other dog Babe and budgie Joey.
Firefighters arrived at Mrs Field’s home in Kingswood, Bristol, and found the blaze was already extinguished.
But a firefighter told Mrs Field that she could have died if it had not been for brave Barbie, seven.
Mrs Field said her main priority was to rescue her animals from the blaze but her Siamese Tasha refused to leave the comfort of the lounge.
She said: “I can’t do enough for little Barbie now – I’ve been giving her lots of treats since it happened.
“She usually sleeps on my bed but when she started licking my face so early in the morning I was quite annoyed.
“It wasn’t until I woke up more that I saw the bottom of my bed was on fire. I tried to put it out but there was a lot of smoke.
“My main worry was to get all my animals out but the cat wouldn’t come. Luckily the fire was out by the time the firefighters got here and everyone was OK.
“They told me it was very lucky that Barbie had woken me up, or I might have slept through it and died.”
Widow Mrs Field said the fire fighters advised her not to use the lamp anymore so she had put it outside her home – where it was stolen by thieves.
She added: “I would like to warn them not to use it.”
Mrs Field was woken at 5.45am by Barbie licking her face and called fire fighters when she was unable to put out the blaze.
Two fire engines attended her home and found the fire was already extinguished.
Mrs Field, who has three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, has owned Barbie since she was a puppy.
James Bladon, spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The sooner you are made aware of a fire the better.
“We advocate the use of smoke alarms, but it is certainly very unusual for a dog to wake someone up in this way.
“Clearly in this case the dog was instrumental in the lady being made aware of the fire and getting herself to safety.”