Protective dog succumbs to injuries after shielding 8-month-old in house fire

Polo, a family's dog, saved an 8-month-old baby by shielding her body as a fire ravaged her home.

Baltimore mom Erika Poremski stepped outside for just a few minutes to retrieve something from her car while her baby slept upstairs in their home. A fire started and spread so quickly that it stopped Poremski from being able to save her child. She tried multiple times to get into the home and run up to the child, sustaining multiple burns on her face and hands, but was unable to save her.

“I just heard her crying and I couldn’t get to her,” Poremski told  WBAL-TV.

Polo, however, sprung into action, using his own body to protect the baby from the fire.

“He stayed with her the whole time in the bedroom and wouldn’t even come downstairs to get out the door,” said Poremski.

Firefighters arrived and were able to get to the baby and paramedics were able to revive the infant. She sustained burns on the side of her face and her arm, but firefighters say she would not have survived if it Polo hadn't protected her.

Check out the full video below via WBAL-TV: