The Dog Who Saved the Day

Rick and Rosslynn Froese lived in a mobile home in Abbotsford, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Rick was home alone, asleep on the couch. He was not aware that flames were licking the ceiling in the room in which he lay sleeping, but his dog, Lucky, sensed danger. Lucky, although old and almost blind, knew the fire was getting closer. He had to do something to wake up his master. He started to whimper and bark.

As the flames got closer and the smoke got thicker, Lucky barked even louder, but he couldn’t wake up Rick. Finally, in desperation, Lucky didn’t just bark. He went right up to Rick and nipped him. 

The bite worked.

Rick woke up, and he and Lucky escaped from the trailer just in time to see their home completely destroyed. Lucky’s hair and skin were a little burned, but he made it out safely. Rick had no doubt his dog saved his life. Everyone was safe, but their home and all their belongings were gone. They weren’t sure what to do until they got a visit from former ADRA Canada coordinator Frank McMiller.

McMiller had found a note on the door of the British Columbia Conference office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that told the story of the Froeses. He visited them and learned the story of how Lucky saved his master. McMiller had no doubt that it was a miracle that the old and almost-blind Lucky was able to help his master escape the fire. 

After hearing the story, ADRA employees took the couple to then Chilliwack Adventist Church Community Services director, Richard Matzele, who provided them with clothes and other necessities. Church pastor John Gilbert and the church board members agreed to let the family use the church’s house next door until the couple could move into a permanent house. Other community churches and the local Emergency Social Services also provided help.

Rick and Rosslynn described the Adventist church as “their faithful friend.” “We’re just glad we were able to help,” McMiller says. “And we’re thankful for a faithful God—and a faithful dog.”

There are many people around the world who need the help ADRA provides. ADRA also assists people in faraway places mostly through the donations and volunteer services of church members. 

It is also good to remember that sometimes we can help people right around us, as was the case with the Froeses. It was the local church and its community services that gave them clothes, soap, and other things they needed—maybe even dog food! 

Does your church help people in your community? Have you helped people near your home? Maybe you’ve mowed the lawn for someone who cannot do it themselves, or baked a cake to cheer someone up. There are all sorts of ways we can serve those around us. 

We’d love to hear your outreach story. Write to us at the addresses found on the back page. 

—Information for this story was supplied by the British Columbia Conference Communication Department and Adventist Review. It was previously published in the June 2007 issue of KidsView.