A stray golden retriever mix who had recently wandered into the hearts of a poor family outside Monterrey, Mexico, was deemed a hero today as he saved his four year old boy master from certain death as the family’s humble, wooden shack burned to ashes.

Little Ivan Saul was sound asleep and would have never woken had it not been for the non-stop barking of his new friend “Rosco” which had wakened him from his peaceful slumber and allowed him the opportunity to run, unharmed, from the flame engulfed home.

Unfortunately, Roscoe didn’t have the same luck. He was left by Ivan’s mother chained to a cement block and had been burned in more than 30% of his body before being rescued, himself, by Nuevo Leon firefighters.

The fire is said to of been caused by the overheating of a small fan. Authorites are investigating as to why little Ivan was left home alone to begin with. Apparently his father was working and his mother had left the child sleeping in order to show her support to a political candidate which was said to of been campaining in a nearby colony.

“I came home when some neighbors came looking for me to tell me my house was on fire. When I got there and saw how the flames were, I was sure my son was burned to death inside. Just when I was preparing to run inside the fire to look for Ivan, I was told he was safe, he had come out running because the dog had woke him up with it’s insistant barking.”
-Elizabeth Alonso Hernández, child’s mother

While the family seeks means to replacing their home and all of their lost possesions, Roscoe is being treated for 1st degree burns in the intensive care unit of the Luca Foundation, a non-profit animal rescue organization headed by Jorge Hoil.