Only His Dog Sensed The Danger Hiding In The Walls

When Drew Smith adopted Carl last year, the San Diego man thought he was saving the stray dog's life. In the end, however, Carl would be the one that rescued them both from a potentially deadly fire.

On January 22, Smith says the 4-year-old spaniel mix began behaving worried and restless, even acting strangely apprehensive about reentering their apartment. Smith thought little of it, but when Carl later woke him in the middle of the night with barks and licks, the dog's alarm became too much to ignore.

"He's not a dog that barks a lot," Smith told ABC News. "For the first three weeks, I didn't even know if he could bark because I'd never heard him."

When Smith turned on the lights, the source of Carl's panic was obvious: The entire apartment was filled with smoke. Thanks to Carl, both of them escaped unharmed.

Firefighters would later tell the lucky pet owner that a fire had been smoldering in the walls for days. Smith says he had a sore throat and headaches that week, but only Carl recognized the danger lurking in the walls.

In a way, he lucked out twice: Smith told KGTV he almost didn't adopt Carl, fearing the dog's dental issues would turn into costly medical bills.

"I'm glad that I saw through what physical flaws he may have had," said Smith. "Who knows if I would have woken up?"

If you think you're ready to adopt your own furry hero, visit your local animal shelter.