Pet goat saves Arkansas family from fire


A family in Poinsett County, Arkansas, is crediting their new pet goat with saving them from a blaze that destroyed their garage and caused extensive smoke and soot damage to their home.
Abigail Bruce, 10, told WREG that one night earlier this month, Speedy the goat began bleating loudly and jumping on the girl's legs and chest, and when she finally opened her eyes, all she could see was smoke. She ran into her parents' bedroom to wake them up, and they discovered the garage was up in flames and "the fire was already starting to come through the windows," says Abigail's dad, Nick Bruce.
The family jumped out of a window and tumbled down onto the front lawn, with all of them escaping injury. Officials say the fire was electrical, and the family believes if it wasn't for Speedy, the flames could have spread and caused more damage. "He knew what to do and everything," Abigail said. "I think he was special before we got him." Catherine Garcia
The Week
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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