Two Unlikely Heroes Honored In Southern Tier | News

ASHVILLE, N.Y. -- The Chautauqua Children's Safety Education Village honored two heroes Monday morning -- a 6-year-old girl and a 2-year-old St. Bernard.

Madelyn Petscher's home burned to the ground in January, but thanks to her insistence and her dog Nana's intuition, the entire family survived.

The family home in Kiantone caught fire the night of January 17. Everyone was asleep, but Nana noticed the smoke and started repeatedly licking the face of Madelyn's father, Menash.

He was able to wake up and get the family to safety.

"Yea (Nana) is a hero," Menash Petscher said. "She's our hero."

Madelyn is the other hero. She went to the Children's Safety Education Village and learned about the importance of having a family fire escape plan. Just a few months before the fire, she convinced her parents to develop such a plan, which helped them all escape unharmed.

Madelyn received two plaques from the safety village -- one honoring her bravery and the other in memory of her dog. Unfortunately, Nana didn't survive the fire.

You can follow the family's blog as they rebuild their home and their lives. They say they will never forget Nana.

"We've talked about what would have happened if Nana didn't wake us up that night," Menash Petscher said. "I don't know. I honestly don't know what would have happened."