Last week, a Lawrence County couple lost everything in a house fire, including a dog they said saved their life.
Amanda and Joe Alley called “Tank” a four-legged hero.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here,” said Amanda.
Tank’s barks woke up the couple around 3:00 a.m.

“The house was already blazing. It was already going out of the ceiling,” Amanda recalled.

The duo jumped out of their bedroom window just in the nick of time.

Before Joe could escape, he received burns on his ears and his arm.

“Nothing made it out except what we had on our backs,” said Amanda. “After we jumped out the window, I kicked the door in to holler for him about five or six times,” Joe added.

Sadly, that included their beloved 3-year-old pit bull.

“He’s just like my kid,” Amanda pointed out. She told stories of the dog enjoying anything from playing in the creek to riding in a car.

Amanda said this loss is just as bad as losing her home.

“He’s helped me through a lot of depression and anxiety along the way because he even has a fake heart, an LVAD because he’s waiting on a heart transplant,” explained Amanda.

An LVAD is a left ventricular assist device that works as a pump for patients who have reached the end-stage of heart failure.

The batteries to his LVAD were also destroyed in the fire. With only a little more than two hours left on his current battery, he was taken to a hospital.

“We lost two vehicles in the fire and pretty much everything we owned. All of his medical supplies,” said Amanda.

Amanda’s sister Ruby Fletcher said she expected the worst. She lives near Amanda and broke down crying when she saw the house.

“I thought we lost her,” said Ruby with tears in her eyes.

The family believed a fireplace heater started the fire
“I’ve lived here for 11 years and just bought the heater. The first time I used the heater, my house burns,” explained Amanda.

She had a piece of advice for others who use electric heaters.

“Do not use plug-in heaters because that’s what I did. I bought a heater at a store on Black Friday and that’s what they’re thinking it was,” Amanda warned.

Now, the family is thankful for their furry friend.

“Tank is our hero. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be here or Joe,” said Ruby.

The family said they did not have a working smoke detector and urged everyone to make sure their alarms are functioning.
Amanda also has an 11-year-old son who she said is heartbroken over the loss. He was not home at the time of the fire.

Now, the family will need to rebuild their life. Plus, Amanda said she just finished Christmas present shopping when the fire happened.

If you would like to donate to help the family, you can do so through City National Bank under the name Amanda Alley.