"Amazing Little Dog" Saves Amazing Family
by Terry Thistlethwaite
Saturday afternoon, I called my friend Lisa Inman
in Desert Hot Springs, CA. for a leisurly chat about events,
and family, and one of our favorite subjects, our dogs.
Lisa and her husband Chris and their ten children,
several of whom the family has adopted, have recently
entered the world of dog shows as a fun family activity.
They are also involved in Rescue, and volunteered in
full force at the Purina Rally To Rescue event held in
Brentwood just a few months ago. So, when I called Lisa
on Saturday, there were many things to talk about; our
dogs, our Katrina Rescue dogs, the kids, the weather,
upcoming "doggy events".... but when Lisa opened the
conversation with, "Did you hear the good news?" the
last thing I expected to hear her say was, "Our house
burned down this morning and every one of us got
out safely".
That statement is typical of Lisa; Look for the good.
accentuate the positive, be grateful. Yes, her entire
home was destroyed, and most of the family's
belongings were lost, but the family, including all of
the dogs, got out safely, and that was the important
thing. That was the "good news" she wanted to report.
Lisa's next words touched my heart in a way that only
a dog lover could fully understand; "The little Scottie,
Nugget, saved us all. She was the only one who woke
up, and she wouldn't stop demanding that I get up.
If she had, we'd all be dead." Lisa had taken Nugget
in just a few weeks ago to help raise her litter of
"show bred" Scottie puppies. "She isn't even my dog"
Lisa said, "but she saved all of our lives!" Little Nugget
had already earned a place in Lisa's heart before the
fire struck, and Lisa had hoped to one day be able to
have one of her puppies. "She's just the most amazing
little dog I've ever known!" Lisa had said about the
insightful terrier. She had no idea at the time how
prophetic those words would soon become.
The fire struck at three thirty in the morning as the
result of a faulty automatic garage door opener.
It raged thru the garage, ruining the family's cars,
then entered the boy's bedroom. When Lisa woke
up with Nugget frantically nudging, licking, and
barking at her, the whole house was already filled with
smoke and much of it was in flames. Lisa quickly
awakened her husband, Chris, and the two of them
rushed to save the kids and the rest of the dogs.
Another dog who happened to be in the home that
night was also a visitor, Ch Fairway Starr's Valentina,
a show champion Collie lovingly known as "Tina".
At one point in the ferver to evacuate, Lisa realized
that Tina was still inside, and rushed back into the
burning building to save her. When asked about the
incident, she said simply, "Well, when I take care of
someone else's dog, I treat them as tho they were my
own!" then she added, "Of course, I also happen to
love Tina dearly!"
The Inman family received help from the Red Cross
with vouchers for food and some clothing for the kids,
as well as a three day stay in a local motel. The family
has homeowners insurance, but will, of course, have
to wait for the insurance company to make it's
assessment and settle the claim. Meanwhile, they're
hoping to find a temporary rental. "We're not splitting
up our family no matter what." Lisa said emphatically,
"and that includes our dogs!"
POSTSCRIPT - December 28, 2005
When I had asked Lisa, just after the fire, if she was going
to be able to keep one of Nugget's puppies, Lisa replied,
"Oh, I would love to! You know, Nugget has always been
my favorite Scottie, and now she's the dog who saved
my whole family from that horrible fire. But there was
only one little girl puppy in the litter, and of course SHE
is my favorite! I know Dorene wanted wants a girl from
the litter, and she won't be breeding Nugget again, so
I doubt I'll be able to have one." Well, last week Lisa called
with an excitement in her voice that I knew meant something
really special. "You won't believe what happened! Dorene just
GAVE me THE LITTLE GIRL puppy! " I don't know
who was more excited -- Lisa or me! Little "Sugar Baby"
will be a well loved family show dog, for sure!
This true story was published in the national Scottish Terrier club's magazine, The Bagpiper, and won first place in the category of "Most Heroic Dog Story" in a national "Pets" essay contest held by Liberty Realty in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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