We keep almost everything that we love inside our homes. After all where else would we keep them? From cherished memories to expensive jewelry, our homes are treasure troves of the things that are most important to us. When disaster hits and a fire occurs in a home it's a race against time to get out alive, and we must leave that which we love behind. One family was going to lose everything, including their beloved dog, but an off-duty police officer refused to let that happen.

While Durham police officer Cpl. Dante Ferrell was on his lunch break he noticed a home had smoke pouring out of it. By the time he made the short trip to the front door the entire second floor was a roaring inferno.

There was no sign of anyone being home, but Ferrell looked in the window to try to spot signs of life. Looking back at him was dog. Without waiting, Ferrell kicked in the door to rescue to dog in distress.

"I was in my dress shoes so I felt it more on my foot than I would have liked," Ferrell told local news. He said his biggest concern was actually if the dog was going to bite him when he opened the door.

Perhaps sensing the danger he was in the dog didn't attack, and was rescued safely. Unfortunately for the owners almost everything in the house was a complete loss, but at least they have one thing to hold on to.