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Dog being rescued from house fire insists police officer put him on a leash first

Maybe there's such a thing as being too good of a boy.

Photo credit: Canva

Some dogs know they are never to leave the house unleashed.

Well-trained dogs are a treasure, and a dog named Oakley in Aurora, Illinois, has given a whole new meaning to the phrase "good boy." Despite the harrowing situation he found himself in, people everywhere are delighting in this rescue dog's almost-too-good behavior.

According to the Aurora Police Department, the four-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier was home alone on the afternoon of September 11, 2025, when a fire broke out in the home's attic. When police officers responded to a fire report, they found flames coming from the back of the home. Investigator Michael Ely and Investigator Jacob Leonard weren't sure if anyone was home, but they were informed there was a dog, and they forced entry through the front door. They didn't find any people inside, but they did find Oakley in a room with a gated doorway on the first floor.

@cbsnews

A family dog named Oakley led a police officer to his leash as the pup was being rescued from a house fire in Aurora, Illinois. Nobody else was inside the home and Oakley had no injuries. #aurora #illinois

When Ely removed the gate and coaxed Oakley to come with him, the dog immediately ran away through the smoky house—and right past the front door. As the smoke alarm blared, Ely followed Oakley, who went straight to his leash hanging on a hook by the back door. Oakley put his nose up to the leash, then sat down and waited dutifully for Ely to put it on him. As soon as the leash was secured, Oakley was good to go and Ely quickly led him out of the house to safety.

Ely told CBS News, "He ran right to that leash and kind of looked up at it, and I'm like, 'Okay, buddy. We'll put your leash on if that makes you feel better.' As soon as I put the leash on, he took off on me."

Here's the full footage shared by the Aurora Police Department:

Oakley is fortunate that the fire was upstairs and not immediately threatening his life, otherwise his good training may have cost valuable seconds getting out of the burning building. Since the video was shared, Oakley has become a viral sensation, with people in the comments celebrating his dedication to rules and routine:

"Awww... he's like, 'Mom doesn't let me go out without a leash.'"

"What a good boy, and good owners too. They've taught him the only possible way to go out through that front door is when to have your leash on."

"Firefighters: 'This is an emergency we need to evacuate.' Dog: 'No no you got it all backwards bro. It’s an emergency that I don’t have my leash.'"

"He was like, 'You ain't gettin' me in trouble. I got yelled at the last time I ran out the house without my leash!'"

"Oakley’s like, 'Dude, you are an officer of the law, and the law says LEASHES!'"

dog, leash, leash laws, dog rescue, good boy Dog leash is a must. Giphy

The homeowner is so thankful officer Ely was able to find Oakley and get him out of the house. They shared some details about the good pup with the Aurora Police Department:

"He is a rescue dog from a local organization called Players for Pits. He was adopted as a puppy by our family. He is 4 years old and is an athletic dog who loves to play and wrestle. He enjoys snuggling with us, snoring loudly as he sleeps, sunbathing, and eating peanut butter. We are forever grateful to Mike at the Aurora Police Department for saving our sweet dog."

Thankfully, the fire was put out, and despite Officer Ely's smoky coughs caught on camera after exiting the home with Oakley, there were no injuries to any people or pets.

Three cheers for Oakley, the goodest boy, and for the responding officers who risked their own safety to rescue the diligent pup and his trusty leash.

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3-year-old ventures outside in the pitch black to save his great-grandma after scary fall

The video is as amazing and adorable as you'd imagine.

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A 3-year-old rescued his grandma after she fell and hit her head.

A lot of parents feel guilty about letting their kids watch TV. But a little bit of screentime isn't always a bad thing. There are shows with legitimate educational value like Ms. Rachel or Sesame Street. Educational programming can be an amazing way for kids to accelerate their learning of counting, the alphabet, and social behaviors.

In some rare cases, they can learn even more than that from their favorite TV shows: Like bravery and strength. Just take it from 3-year-old Bridger Peabody.

Bridger is just three years old but the toddler is already adding "hero" to his resume before he even starts preschool.


toddler hero, Denver boy saves grandma, heroes, grandma, grandma babysitting, grandparents, family, 911 Not all heroes wear capes; some wear blankies. Giphy

Bridger is a huge fan of the show Paw Patrol, which came in handy when an emergency took place while he was being babysat by his great-grandmother Sharon Lewis, 77.

The two were home alone when the unthinkable happened, "Gigi," which is what Bridger calls his grandma, suffered a terrifying and violent fall. Lewis uses a walker to get around and must've become unsteady on her feet while maneuvering the wheeled walker inside.

The pair were outside enjoying some playtime before everything went south. As they were making their way inside from playing in the backyard, Lewis fell—but it wasn't just a normal trip and fall. The great-grandma didn't land on her knees, bottom, or even her hands—which probably would caused enough damage. When Lewis fell, she forcefully hit her head on the cement steps and blood quickly rushed from her wound—but that wasn't the end of her problem.

The two were alone, and there was no one else around to help.

"I tripped over something and fell and hit my head on the concrete step," Lewis tells Inside Edition.

The elderly woman was unable to move and her cell phone was not with her. Since she was home alone with the toddler, she realized he was the only one there who could help her.

So, she instructed him to get her phone from her car. Bridger may be young, but he knew his grandmother was hurt and needed his help. There were a couple of stumbling blocks for Bridger to overcome, though, the first one being that the phone was in the car, not inside the house. The second was that the sun had set and the toddler is afraid of the dark. Venturing out into the darkness alone to get his great-grandma's cellphone was a monumental task for the little guy.

This is where Paw Patrol comes in. The show is popular with toddlers and preschoolers, and depicts cartoon dogs of different breeds donning uniforms from various help and service professions (firefighter, police, construction, etc.) to rescue different fictional animals. It shows kids the importance of bravery, team work, and kindness—which Bridger clearly picked up on.

The little guy knew that it was dark outside, but he also knew he needed to help his great-grandmother—so he braved the dark channeling his inner Paw Patrol character.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The whole thing was captured on the Peabody's security camera and it's just as amazing and adorable as you would expect.

Bridger even gives himself a little pep talk as he navigates the nighttime darkness to retrieve the cell phone so Gigi can call 911. You can see Bridger holding his blankie in the night vision security camera as he walks to the car repeating, "Don't be afraid."

The boy opens the car door and excitedly exclaims, "YAY! I did it!" when he gets inside the car.

When the interior light turned on in the car, Bridger could clearly see the phone and was able to grab it and bring it back to his grandmother, allowing her to call 911.

The ambulance came to take Lewis to the hospital where she received 22 staples in her head. She's now home safely recovering all thanks to the bravery of her three-year-old great grandson.

Social media users couldn't get enough of the story of bravery, and it quickly went viral. Commenters chimed in with their admiration:

"Not all hero's wear capes, some of them hold blankies."

"Grandma's hope in Bridger overcame his fear! May they always be bonded, and continue to make lasting memories together!"

"him telling himself dont be scared is one of the cutest and bravest things i have seen that was special."

"Paw Patrol company needs to give that young warrior something special."

“Yay!! I did it!!” My heart melted. What an adorable little boy, and so strong. He saved his Gigi’s life that day. Bless him!!!"

Gigi is doing well and, with the media frenzy dying down, Bridger is returning to life as a normal 3-year-old. But he and his Gigi will be bonded for life over what happened, that much is for sure. The young man might have a bright future in helping others ahead of him with the bravery he's displayed so far in his short life.

This article originally appeared in March. It has been updated.


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Pizza guy whose split-second decision saved a woman's life, gets the best reward possible

A woman gave him subtle hint to get help.

via WITI Milwaukee

Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Editor's Note: This story discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Joey Grundl, who was working as a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, was hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help. It's a timeless story that continues to resonate with people today. In 2018, the deliveryman was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffmann, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffmann. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

"I showed up, it was a normal delivery, and saw this middle-aged couple," Grundl, 24, told NBC News. "I gave him his pizza, and then I noticed behind him was his girlfriend," Grundl told WITI Milwaukee. "She pointed to a black eye that was quite visible. She mouthed the words, 'Call the police.'" When Grundl got back to his delivery car, he called the police. When the police arrived at the home, Hoffmann tried to block the door, but eventually let the police into the woman's home.


dean hoffmann, wisconsin, mugshot, pizza guy, joey grundl, Dean Hoffmann's mugshot.via WITI Milwaukee

After seeing the battered woman, Hoffmann was arrested, and she was taken to the hospital for her wounds. Earlier in the day, Hoffmann arrived at the house without her permission and tried to convince her to get back into a relationship with him. He then punched her in the face and hog-tied her with a vacuum power cord.

"If you love me, you will let me go," she pleaded, but he reportedly replied, "You know I can't do that." He also threatened to shoot both of them with a .22 caliber firearm he kept in his car. The woman later told authorities that she feared for her life.


- YouTube www.youtube.com

A day later, Grundl was seen on TV telling his heroic story, wearing a hoodie from Taylor Swift's "Reputation Tour" and her fans quickly jumped into action, tagging Swift in photos of the hero. Grundl already had tickets to go to an upcoming Swift concert in Arlington, Wisconsin, but when Swift learned of the story, she arranged to meet Grundl backstage and they took a photo together.

"She … she knew who I was," Grundl jokingly tweeted after the concert. "I'm thoroughly convinced Taylor gave me a cold."

"This has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life," Grundl said. "I'm legitimately getting emotional and I almost never get like this. But as the likely most memorable week of my entire life comes to an end … I guess I can really say … I'm doing better than I ever was."

- YouTube www.youtube.com


Hoffmann was found guilty of kidnapping, suffocating, harming, and intimidating his girlfriend and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. It was his first criminal charge. During the trial, his victim told the jury that she was "deathly afraid" of Hoffmann. In 2023, after being transferred to Waupun Correctional Institute in Wisconsin, Hoffmann died by suicide after 9 days in solitary confinement. Hoffman has a history of bipolar disorder and suicidal ideation, and his death has raised questions over whether the facility was equipped to deal with severe mental health issues.

This story originally appeared six years ago.

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Instacart delivery driver trusted her gut instinct and ended up saving a customer's life

"You're supposed to take a picture and leave, and I could not just leave."

@JessicaHiggs3/TikTok

Jessica Higgs had a sense that something wasn't right at a customer's house and her action saved his life.

One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This "sixth sense" isn't something we can see or measure, but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn't right, or that we or someone else should or shouldn't do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.

One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs, a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person, shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK.

"I just want to start this off by saying if you see something, say something," Higgs said.

Animated GIF Giphy

She explained how she had done an Instacart order the previous day for a daughter who was ordering for her older dad who couldn't shop for himself. She said she was going the extra mile like she always does for her customers, and that the daughter told her to just drop the groceries on the porch and he'd get them. That's what Higgs would usually do.

"I get there and something was telling me no, you gotta help this man out," she said. "He came out, and I was like OK let me help you, and I got the groceries. You're not supposed to go into someone's house, but I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside and put them down wherever he wanted me to put them down. You're not supposed to, but I did. And you're supposed to just take a picture and leave, and I could not just leave."



@jessicahiggs3

@Instacart #28DaysOfEucerin #fyp



Higgs noticed that the man looked really sick and she was really concerned. A voice in her head said, "You gotta say something. You gotta say something, Jess." Rather than mark the order as complete, she messaged the man's daughter and told her that it was really unprofessional to say something like this, but she felt like her dad wasn't doing well. "There's a propane tank in there," she told the woman. "I was in there maybe five feet and I got dizzy. There's got to be a leak. He might not be doing good because of this leak."

The woman said she would send her son over to check it out and Higgs left. The woman changed her tip from $14 to $100, which Higgs appreciated, but the message she sent her the next morning was a much greater reward for her going the extra mile.

"Thank you so much, once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it was definitely leaking," she wrote. "You definitely saved my dad and my younger son's life!!!"

Through tears, Higgs said, "I'm just an Instacart worker, but if you see something, say something. I did and I'm so happy I did."

Higgs' TikTok has been viewed more than 15 million times and has been shared widely on social media. It has also attracted the attention of big companies.

Royal Caribbean Cruises shared a TikTok video of its own praising Higgs for her heroic act and offering her and her family a seven-day cruise anywhere in the world. "Cause even heroes need a vacation," the company wrote.



@royalcaribbean

Stitch with @jessicahiggs3 - cause even heroes need a vacation. Thanks @captaincruiseguy



Old Navy connected with her and arranged a shopping spree where she got to model several new outfits. People Magazine commented, "You’re literally a HERO! Good job trusting your instincts. 💕" Even TikTok itself wrote, "You are amazing ❤️thank you for sharing this with all of us."

Lots of commenters also pointed out that she's not "just an Instacart worker." Her work is important, she's providing a needed service and any job done in a spirit of helping others should not be minimized. If she hadn't been there doing her job well, that man may not be here. Never underestimate the difference each of us can make by the simple act of looking out for one another, friend and stranger alike.

Higgs' heartfelt story touched millions, and she's being rightly rewarded for listening to her heart and going out of her way to help someone. Gotta love seeing good things come to people doing good. Well done, Jessica Higgs.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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