Dog Adopted From Michigan Shelter Saves Families' Lives 2 Weeks Later

GROSSE POINTE WOODS (CBS Detroit) – A puppy named Hunter, who was adopted from the Michigan Humane Society at Petco in Sterling Heights, is credited with saving the lives of his new family members.

How did he do it? The 3-month-old Husky mix alerted them to a gas leak in the middle of the night, hours after a burner was inadvertently left on. It was turned on enough "to emit gas, but not enough to light it," MHS said in a press release.

Hunter, who was adopted just two weeks earlier, woke his adoptive mom, Jill McLarty, around midnight on Wednesday, March 5, by whining nonstop, MHS staffers said.

"Thinking that Hunter needed to go outside, Jill let him out," MHS said in a press release, adding, "She was surprised that Hunter simply sat outside and continued to whine."

McLarty let him back in and brought the pup back into the bedroom, where she and her husband were sleeping. Hunter wouldn't stop whining and eventually began running in circles in the hallway before leading his "mom" into the kitchen.

"When she turned the light on, she saw Hunter sitting next to the stove, and noticed that one of the gas stove burners was on low, without a flame, causing gas to leak into the house," MHS staffers said in the release.

The McLartys estimate that the gas had been on since they had cooked dinner, nearly six hours before Hunter woke them up.

See Hunter's adoption story below.

"He is the first dog we ever adopted (from MHS) and I would recommend it to anybody," said Tim McLarty, Jill's husband. "And as cliché as it sounds, the life you save may save yours."