By GREG TAIPARI
He may be Lazy by name but one Rotorua pooch was anything but when he tried to put out a fire at his owners' house.
That's what his family suspect anyway, although Lazy was ultimately unable to save their possessions from destruction. Half the Jackson St house
was damaged by the fire and all of their belongings were destroyed.
When Trinity Samuells went to the shop, clothes left on a line in the lounge fell on to the nearby fireplace and caught fire. The only one home was the family's pet dog, Lazy.
"He must have tried to put the fire out with his paws, because they were all blistered - you can see where he tried to pat it out. We think he tried to carry the [burning clothes] outside because the clothes had been dragged along the floor and he had burns on his mouth and ears. He's a clever dog."
Mrs Samuells said she believed the dog must then have become scared and run into the bedroom to hide.
Firefighters were called to the fire by neighbours and Lazy was found under some blankets in the bedroom.
Senior station officer Jim Prescott said although it was possible, it might be a "stretch" to think the dog tried moving the clothing that was on fire. He couldn't be sure how the dog got his injuries.
He had not heard of any dogs trying to put out fires, and was amazed the dog was still alive.
"In my 30 years of service I haven't seen a dog survive a blaze like that. They tend to succumb quite quickly to the smoke. This dog was smart in that it went to the other end of the house and hid."
The Samuells family, who were not insured, lost everything in the fire, but are happy nobody was hurt.
Mrs Samuells said her two sons Tamamohi, 5, and Te Wheturangi, 3, were relieved Lazy was alive and did not care all their toys were damaged.
The family had found another house to rent but had to leave their dog at her brother's home.
Lazy is now fully recovered from his injuries with no sign of trauma following the fire drama, although he has stayed pretty close to his family since.
