As the flames poured from Ben Heinrichs’ isolated workshop, he wondered if help would arrive in time.

The 23-year-old had been working on his truck when a rogue spark had hit gasoline, igniting both the structure and Heinrichs’s clothes. Stunned and frightened, the man ran outside and rolled in the snow to put out the flames. To prevent the blaze from spreading, he slammed the workshop door closed before realizing that Buddy, his five-year-old German shepherd, was still inside.

Luckily, it only took Heinrich a few moments to let Buddy out of the burning workshop, and (thankfully) the dog didn’t sustain any injuries. Still, Heinrich’s isolated workshop, situated 55 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, was burning in a fiery blaze – and the man knew he needed help.

“I just took off running,” Heinrichs recalled.

“I said we need to get help, and [Buddy] just took off.”

Somehow, Buddy seemed to understand that his owner was in danger.

The dog ran through a nearby wooded area and onto a local road. This is where he located trooper Terrence Shanigan, who had been attempting to respond to calls about the fire. Shanigan’s GPS has malfunctioned and the trooper was trying to get directions from dispatch to help him find the way to Heinrich’s workshop.

The entire ordeal was captured on video thanks to the dashcam in Shanigan’s car.

The video shows Shanigan driving down a straight road when Buddy’s form suddenly appears on the left side of the street. When Shanigan turns the cruiser down the street toward the dog and meets the animal’s eyes, the dog quickly begins to run. In an interview, Shanigan said:

“He wasn’t running from me, but was leading me. I just felt like I was being led.”

As Buddy races back towards his home, the German shepherd occasionally looks towards the trooper to ensure the officer is still following him. Once the trooper had arrived on the scene (thanks to Buddy’s help), he was able to guide firefighters to their location.

While Heinrichs and his family had always known Buddy was a special dog, they were blown away by his courage and bravery. Buddy’s mother was a K9 officer, and Buddy had scared bears away from Heinrich on fishing trips in the past. Still, the family never expected that their dog would end up saving their home.

Shortly after the incident, Alaska troopers held a ceremony for Buddy to honor his heroic deed.

During the event, Heinrich got emotional while discussed the incident, stating:

“[Buddy] is my hero. If it wasn’t for him, we would have lost our house.”

Buddy “the Hero” dog has become a legend in German shepherd communities. When news of his bravery broke back in 2010, he became an instant celebrity, garnering praise from fans worldwide.

Sadly, however, Buddy’s days were numbered.

The heroic German shepherd passed away in 2016 after a long battle with liver cancer – but his story and legacy of bravery still live on today.

Comments on a video of the story read:

“I can watch the most violent and heinous s**t on the web and not bat an eye, but when I see stuff like this I get so choked up. I LOVE DOGS! True devotion. True love.”

“I’m a U.S. military police K9 handler. This video gave me tears because I lost my K9 partner named Dozer who was a German shepherd killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. He gave his life to protect me.”

“This is why I love dogs. Treat them right and they’ll love and protect you until they take their final breath.”

Hear more about Buddy’s story in the video below.

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Source: WestminsterKC, NBC News, Alaska Public Media