Puppy adopted from Michigan Humane Society credited with saving lives

The puppy, named Hunter, alerted family to a gas leak coming from their stove.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS – A puppy named Hunter who was adopted from the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) is credited with saving the lives of his new family members. 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 enough to emit gas, but not enough to light it.

Hunter, who was adopted from the MHS off-site adoption center at Petco in Sterling Heights just two weeks prior, woke his adoptive mom, Jill McLarty, around midnight on Wednesday, March 5 by whining nonstop. Thinking that Hunter needed to go outside, Jill let him out. She was surprised that Hunter simply sat outside and continued to whine. Jill 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 Jill 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. The McLartys estimate that the gas had been on since they had cooked dinner, nearly six hours before Hunter woke them up.

“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.”

The Michigan Humane Society is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in the state. MHS works to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.