A four-legged Philadelphia resident has been hailed a hero after his persistent digging uncovered a dangerous gas leak that could have exploded, potentially endangering his entire neighborhood.
Kobe, a husky owned by Chanell Bell, became fixated on a small patch of concrete in their front yard in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
“He kept digging and digging in this one spot,” Ms Bell told USA Today. “I thought maybe he smelled a squirrel or something.”
Initially, Ms. Bell dismissed Kobe’s behavior, checking inside her home for any signs of a leak but finding nothing.
But when she spotted him fixated on the same spot again on December 21st, a nagging suspicion arose.
“I thought, ‘Maybe I should just check,'” Ms. Bell recounted to The Guardian. She grabbed a gas-level reader, and, to her shock, it pinged positive right at the point of Kobe’s unwavering interest.
The discovery prompted immediate action. Gas crews descended on the scene and spent three days excavating and repairing the leak.
Workers reportedly told Ms. Bell that the gas, if left unchecked, could have ignited with the simple flick of a light switch, potentially causing a devastating explosion.
“They said it could have blown the whole house up,” she said, highlighting the magnitude of Kobe’s intervention. “He’s definitely my hero.”
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News of Kobe’s heroic feat has spread quickly, with the husky becoming a local celebrity and attracting national attention.
Ms. Bell said Kobe’s tale underlines the importance of paying attention to unusual animal behavior. While a persistent dig may seem like innocent playfulness, it could, as in Kobe’s case, be a canine’s way of alerting us to unseen dangers lurking beneath the surface.