WATCH – Boys Save Neighbor’s Dogs from Fire: ‘Didn’t Even Think Twice’

Anthony Lombardi and Mario Comella were enjoying a bike ride in Coventry, Rhode Island, when they heard fire alarms going off.

The friends, whose ages are 12 and 13, realized it was coming from a neighbor’s home, and went to investigate, WPRI reported Friday.

The moment they approached the front door, the pair saw smoke filling the house.

“We saw the dogs, they were panicking and barking, and it was so loud,” Lombardi explained.

The boys hurriedly contacted their friend who lived at the house, and once the person relayed the code to unlock the door, Lombardi and Comella began calling to the dogs.

It was a strange coincidence for one of the boys.

A year *to the day* from this incident, the boy's uncle lost his dogs to a devastating house fire.

"I was thinking, this happened to my uncle, I'm not going to let this happen to my friend."https://t.co/JdvqEjovZp @wpri12

— Anita Baffoni (@AnitaBaffoni) January 21, 2022

When a home catches fire, a dog can detect the danger and may bark, jump, and howl to gain attention from people nearby if it smells something burning, according to wagwalking.com.

Two of the three canines, named Faith and Boo, ran to the door. However, Chase, a German Shepherd puppy, remained closed up in his crate.

Comella quickly ran inside and unlocked the crate, bringing Chase outside where he was safe.

Athena DiBenedetto and John Salisbury, who are their friend’s parents, said they were out when the incident occurred, but the boys’ actions were recorded on a security camera.

“With all of the smoke billowing in the house, he didn’t even think twice,” DiBenedetto noted when speaking about Comella. “He ran in and let the dog out.”

Comella’s uncle lost his own dogs during a fire one year prior.

“I was thinking, ‘this happened to my uncle, so I’m not going to let this happen to my friend,'” he stated.

According to Salisbury, one of the pups accidentally switched on a burner on the stove which ignited a cutting board.

DiBenedetto felt deeply grateful for the boys’ actions and quick thinking, which saved their pets.

“It was very emotional,” she commented, adding, “Those are my babies.”

Following the incident, Coventry Fire Chief Frank Brown reminded citizens not to enter a burning building but call 911.