A couple opened an app linked to their newly-installed pet camera to check on their Labrador, only to freeze when they saw her barking and smoke rising from the stove.
The pet camera captured the moment Vanilla, a 1-year-old yellow Lab, jumped up and placed her front paws on the edge of the stove while the owners, Connor and Ale Barry, were out running errands. When she hopped back down, she accidentally hit a knob, turning on the stovetop. Moments later, she began crying.
“After we left, we stopped to grab coffee before we were going to do laundry, and we checked in the drive-through lane,” Connor Berry told Newsweek. “When we saw Vanilla was crying and howling, and we didn’t notice until a minute or two later because of how upset she was.”
The couple shared the footage in a February 2 Instagram video posted to @bareknucklebarry, which had drawn more than 92,600 views and 300 comments as of Thursday. They said they had only installed the pet camera a few days earlier—timing they now call incredibly lucky, especially as they leave Vanilla at home alone and nothing like this has happened before.
“We were across town, so it took about three minutes for me to drive out of the drive-through and get back,” Barry said. “Luckily, we were close by when we checked.”
In the clip, Barry bolted toward the stove, turned off the knob as quickly as possible, and pulled the kitchen towel that was on fire off the top. The couple found a salt shaker melted from the heat of a nearby fire. He took the sink hose and began spraying down the stove to stop the smoke.
Barry said there was nothing left on the stove that would have inticed Vanilla to jump up. The couple had recently cleaned, and he left the towel on the stovetop without thinking to take it off.
“You would never expect something like this to happen,” he said. “We are so blessed that everything lined up that we could avoid a huge disaster!”
Vanilla ran into the hall to hide once the couple rushed inside, but he said she’s fine now and already put the traumatic experience in the past.
Near Fire Turns Into PSA
The owners framed their video as a warning to other pet families to avoid their mistake, as cooking is the leading cause of home fires, fire injuries and deaths in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
About 66 percent of home cooking fires start with food or cooking equipment igniting. Cooktops account for 51 percent of home cooking fire incidents.
Barry’s Instagram caption reads: “Posting this as a PSA. We were lucky. Please childproof your stove if you have pets or kids… @vanilla_thelab almost burned our house down.”
Veterinarians from the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center advise pet owners and parents to purchase stoves with a lock function to avoid animals or children from inadvertently turning on. People can also purchase child-proof stove knob covers. Avoid leaving flammable objects near the stove, such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains.
Viewer Reactions
Instagram users breathed a sigh of relief after realizing everyone was safe.
“It is absolutely incredible that the dog realized something was wrong so quickly,” commented a viewer.
Another said: “What a good pup; she made sure y’all knew something was wrong (even if she caused it on accident).”
Someone else chimed in: “Wow, a smart girl. Great reminder, I’m glad she/everyone is okay!”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
