Family credits dog, neighbor for saving them during fire

The house is a total loss, but all 11 people inside made it out alive

SAN ANTONIO – A family already struggling is counting their blessings after an early-morning fire. Though the house is a total loss, all 11 people inside made it out alive.

“Get out, get out, get out,” were the words Sidney Saul recalled hearing. “Bastante muy fuertes, muy duro.”

Sauls said it was his neighbors’ knocking that woke him up early Sunday morning. Meanwhile, outside the bedroom door the family pet, My Joy, Saul’s wife’s seeing eye dog had gotten out of its crate was alerting the family of the fire.

"I love her. This is my momma's seeing eye dog. She do a little bit more than seein' she do hearin' to huh?" said Nikki Harris.

The family is still amazed everyone made it out alive.

"You can see the rooms we all sleep in. The mattresses is burnt the beds burnt up so," Sauls said. "Who knows if the man and My Joy you know didn't save our life we might not even be here talking to y’all today."