It’s been said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but for the Hawman family, their dog is much more.
"I owe my dog my life because he saved my mom's life," said Mitch Hawman, the son of Noreen Lucas.
On Christmas Eve, Lucas was too sick with pneumonia to celebrate the holiday festivities with her family.
Instead, Lucas stayed home to rest while her family went to relatives for dinner.
Lucas fell asleep on the couch and some time later the home went up in flames.
Rex, the family dog, dragged Lucas off from the couch and across the living room floor towards the door.
“I was so comatose so when Rex dragged me I knew something was wrong, and I wouldn't be alive without that dog," said Lucas.
Lucas awoke and was able to save another dog and two cats from the fire as Rex stood by her side. Sadly, the family believes one other family cat didn’t make it.
"[Rex] is part of our family and he saved a family member so he deserves to be recognized," said Hawman.
The Hawman say losing their home on Christmas Eve was devastation but their town has been nothing less than helpful during this difficult time.
"The support from our community and friends and family is amazing. Everybody has been there. Our phone is ringing off the hook and they have brought so much stuff," said Santana Hawman, Mitch’s wife.
The Town of Vonda, Saskatchewan, has given them a rental property to live in until they can rebuild their home.
"It could have been a lot worse,” said Hawman. “Like Mitch says we always knew there was something special about that dog.”
