Dog Leaps From Second Story of Burning House

When the Stump family of Philadelphia left their house for the day to head to work and school, they had no idea it could be the last time they would see their dog, Charlie.
Mid-morning in early October, another commuter– Justin Steinmetz– was on his way to work when he caught sight of flames licking at the roof of the Stump home. Stopping immediately, Steinmetz flagged down another driver and asked them to call 911. As they waited for the firefighters to arrive, Steinmetz searched for a hose and tried to put the fire out on his own with little success.

Thankfully, the fire department arrived quickly and began the process of putting out the fire. While it was obvious that no humans were home, the firefighters soon realized that the family dog, Charlie, was stuck on the second floor.

Sticking his head through a second-story window, Charlie alerted the firefighters to his presence, desperately scrabbling to get out. Encouraged by the firefighters below, Charlie took a leap of faith and jumped from the second floor right into the waiting arms of the firefighters.

Shocking photos show Charlie exhaling smoke filling his lungs, and the entire encounter was filmed, from the moment Charlie appeared to his epic leap to freedom.

Thankfully, despite suffering from smoke inhalation, Charlie is okay, and his family has received more than $40,000 in support to rebuild their home and care for Charlie.