Portly Pet Pig Named Lucky Ends Up Saving Family From Burning Home

When the Farler family adopted a pig as a pet last February, they had no idea what a little life-saver he'd wind up being. But after their home in Mt. Carmel, Illinois went up in flames early yesterday morning, it wasn't luck -- rather that portly pet, named Lucky -- who helped them all make it out alive.

Ina Farler says she and her two grandkids were fast asleep when, out of nowhere, the curly-tailed pet with whom she shares her bed began acting like something was deathly wrong. And he was right.

"He started screaming," she told news station WFIE. "He would jump down, run to the door and then jump back up on the bed and hit me really hard. I sat up to see what was wrong with him because he usually doesn't do that through the night. When I sat up, I realized the room was really smoky."

A fast-growing fire had broken out in the night, though, thanks to Lucky's insistence, Ina was able to hurry her family to safety just in time. By the time fire crews arrived, everything in the home was lost, but the Farlers are still counting their blessings.

While some people might consider pigs to be unconventional animals to keep as companions, for Ina, such shows of loyalty as Lucky's are just one of the many reasons they're good to have around.

"They make great pets, they're easy to potty train," says Ina. "And they're loving. They can be very protective actually."