Local Dog Nabs Award for Saving Guardian From House Fire

PETA Will Honor Curly the Dog With a Special Gift Basket

For Immediate Release:
October 11, 2019

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

A Heroic Dog Award is on its way from PETA to Curly—the dog who saved his guardian, retired Vietnam veteran Brian Rand, by alerting him to a fire in their home in the early hours of Monday morning. Curly prodded Rand with his nose until he woke up—and even though their home was destroyed, the pair escaped the blaze unharmed.

Rand adopted Curly three years ago. “I went to the shelter with the intention of adopting a 20-pound dog, but [70-pound] Curly chose me,” Rand told PETA. “People keep asking me, am I upset about losing my things. As long as I have Curly by my side, I have what I need.”

“Curly showed unconditional love and selfless bravery in saving his best friend’s life,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “Rescued dogs rescue us right back—and PETA encourages anyone with the time and resources to care for an animal to adopt a lovable dog like Curly from a shelter.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—notes that adopting a dog saves a life: More than 6 million dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters every year, and half of them have to be euthanized because there simply aren’t enough homes for them all.

Curly will receive a framed certificate and a special gift basket containing toys and vegan treats.

For more information about PETA, please visit PETA.org.