Adopted pet worth her weight in gold; saves family from fire

Sunday, December 12, 2004

By Anna Bienvenu

Susie is a big, beautiful blonde with a great heart and a personality to match.

She's also a heroine because she probably saved the lives of two families by alerting them to a fire in their home after everyone had retired for the night.

Susie is a dog.

She was an abandoned 9-month-old golden retriever living at the St. Bernard Animal Shelter when shelter volunteers Selena and Faye Carmouche first met her. Selena, 13, and Faye, 12, both students at Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Chalmette, volunteered at the shelter several days a week during the past summer.

Susie finally came home with them in June after their stepfather Ray Morrogh gave his approval.

Every night, Susie slept in her kennel in the kitchen immediately adjacent to the laundry area, which is directly beneath Faye's bedroom.

After bedtime Nov. 26, Susie started barking and squealing and making noises the family had never heard her make.

Morrogh ran downstairs thinking he might find an intruder, but instead found the water heater was on fire. The fire was quickly contained by Morrogh, who said the heating element failed, and the pressure relief valve did not work properly.

Susie was a hero and the excitement appeared to be over. However, at about 1 a.m., she started barking again.

This time when Morrogh arrived downstairs, Susie was still in her kennel but standing in about an inch of water. The water heater's glass liner had cracked when the water inside cooled down and water poured out into the house.

The neighbors who share the double house found water seeping into their house about the same time and came over to help clean up the mess. Morrogh spent about three hours sweeping two to three inches of water out of his house and then out of his neighbor's side of the double.

Ceily Trog, director of the St. Bernard Animal Shelter, was delighted to hear about one of the shelter's animals being in the limelight.

Trog said that for the past six years, the animal shelter, in conjunction with the nonprofit group, Friends of the Animal Shelter, has had a program called Home for the Holidays where cats and dogs can be adopted as Christmas presents either by families choosing their own animal or buying a gift certificate for a senior citizen to come in and choose their own pet.

Many of the animals can be adopted at a reduced fee if they are spayed or neutered. Senior citizens are exempt from the fees if an adult animal is spayed or neutered. Trog said by adopting an adult animal, "the senior citizens give the animal a second chance."

Another successful program instituted by the shelter and financed by the Friends of the Animal Shelter has been a training program that helps dogs become "more adoptable."

Trog said many animals are brought in to the shelter because they have behavior problems.

Shelter volunteers participate in a training program run by behavior and training coordinator Yogi Johnson of Pets for Adoption Inc.

Shelter volunteers spend an hour a week on Tuesdays helping dogs get used to basic behavior such as being on a leash, and learning commands to heel, sit and stay.

Trog said she hopes residents looking for a pet for Christmas will consider adopting a cat or dog from the St. Bernard Animal Shelter.

For information, call the shelter at 278-1535 or visit them at 115 Agriculture St. in Chalmette.

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Anna Bienvenu lives in Chalmette and writes about people and events from the Arabi line to Paris Road. To report news to her, call 271-9577 or 722-6770 or e-mail her at annabienvenu@cox.net.

Faye Carmouche, left, and Selena Carmouche, right, pictured with their stepfather Ray Morrogh, center, adopted Susie, a golden retriever, from the St. Bernard Animal Shelter. Susie recently woke the family up in the middle of the night after their water heater caught fire.