It’s almost the end of the work week, so we need a feel-good story to close it out. We’re turning our attention to Coventry, Rhode Island, to do so.
That’s right — Coventry, Rhode Island, is where our latest story takes place. It’s the home of two very brave teenage boys who rescued their neighbors’ dogs from a house fire. It’s a story that may bring a tear to your eyes, so make sure to have your tissues ready if you need them.
Back on New Year’s Day, 12-year-old Anthony Lombardi and 13-year-old Mario Comella were riding their bikes past their neighbor’s house. It was then that they came across a dangerous situation, but decided to get involved anyway. The two boys heard smoke alarms going off inside the house, and noticed the dogs were all barking still inside.
Teenagers Describe the Intense Situation
Lombardi spoke to WHDH 7 News about what it was like the moment they pulled up to the house.
“We saw like dogs and they were all panicking, all like barking,” he said. “It was so loud, it was going by so fast, it was very crazy.”
So, what happened next? Well, after noticing that the door was locked, they decided to call the owner of the house. That would be John Salisbury, who promptly gave the boys the unlock code. As a matter of fact, the entire situation was actually captured on a doorbell camera.
After the dogs ran out, the other youngster, Mario Comella, said that he saw a German Shepherd puppy that was locked inside his crate. Without thinking, he instinctively ran in to help. He said that something similar happened to his uncle, and he didn’t want to see it happen again.
“So I was like alright this dog is going to die so I went up and I grabbed it,” he said.
As for the homeowners? They are speaking out, calling the boys heroes for saving their beloved pets.
Owners of Rescued Dogs Call Rhode Island Boys ‘Heroes’
After the dramatic events that unfolded on New Year’s Day, it only makes sense that the owners of the dogs consider the two boys who saved them to be heroes. Athena DiBenedetto, who also resides at the home, said that they were out at the time of the fire. Speaking of which, the fire is said to have started after one of the dogs managed to turn on a stover burner, which then caught fire to a wooden chopping board.
“It was very emotional,” DiBenedetto said. “Those are my babies. I still can’t watch (the doorbell video) without kinda getting teary-eyed just thinking what would of happened if they had been five, 10 minutes later.”
There is no denying the heroic acts of the boys in this story. But even still, the Coventry fire department is warning people not to enter burning buildings.
