Passerby Breaks Into Stranger’s Burning Home To Save His Sleeping Dog

Joe Loduha was not expecting to save a life when he was driving to a carpentry job in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

As he was driving, he saw smoke coming from a home nearby. Loduha, who used to be an emergency medical technician, stopped at the home to see what was going on.

That’s when he noticed smoke pouring out of the back of the house. A neighbor called 9-1-1, but no fire crews had arrived yet, so Loduha decided to take matters into his own hands.

The neighbor told Loduha that the homeowner’s dog was inside, so Loduha jumped into action.

Since flames were coming from the back of the home, so he decided to go in through the front. He kicked the glass in on the front door, and then kicked the second door down.

Once he got into the home, he saw smoke lining the ceiling. He bent down and saw the dog sleeping on the couch, so he quickly grabbed her and ran outside.

Loduha then decided to run back into the house to make sure there were no more animals or people left behind. Thankfully, no one else was inside, and he eventually ran back outside after he was blasted with smoke and heat.

Once he got outside, the Wauwatosa and Milwaukee fire departments were there and were able to control the blaze within the next 30 minutes.

Loduha had glass stuck in his leg from kicking in the door, but was otherwise ok. Thanks to him, the dog was going to be just fine.

Homeowner Patrick Otis arrived home shortly after and immediately ran toward his dog, Darma. Otis then reached out his arms and hugged Loduha to thank him for saving his beloved dog’s life.

Sadly, the fire completely destroyed the first floor and roof of Otis’ home, leaving it uninhabitable. The Red Cross of Wisconsin has since contacted Otis to help arrange housing for him and his family while they get back on their feet.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Wauwatosa fire marshal.

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