Hero Dog Honored For Saving Family From Fire

Los Angeles - A pit bull named Diamond who smelled smoke and alerted his owners to a fire was honored during ceremonies today in Los Angeles.

Diamond's heroics occurred last October during a residential fire in Hayward in Northern California, said Ana Bustilloz of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.

The canine was presented with the 29th annual National Hero Dog Award during a ceremony this morning at the Nokia Plaza L.A. in downtown Los Angeles.

Diamond's owners -- Darryl Steen and his two daughters, 16-year-old Sierra and 9-year-old Darahne -- were asleep when Diamond began barking, according to the SPCA. The family awoke to find their home on fire.

Darryl Steen was able to get Darahne to safety via a second-story window, but he could not reach Sierra. Diamond stayed with Sierra until firefighters arrived and saved them both. Sierra and Diamond were treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

"I have heard many stories of dogs alerting their human companions to danger, such as a fire," said spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein, "but this dog stayed with her companion even while being burned. It just shows how intense the human-animal bond can be when we show kindness toward animals."