Father finally warms up to dog after pup saves family from fire

A Long Island family's dog is being hailed as a four-legged hero after alerting a mother and three children that a fire had broken out in their home.

Lilly, a one-year-old mixed breed pooch, began barking in the wee hours of Friday morning when smoke began filling the Argento family's Levittown, New York, home. Timothy Argento, who was working in the Bronx at the time of the blaze, told Newsday that his wife, 11-year-old twin daughters and another child escaped without serious injury.

The cause of the fire was unknown, according to officials in Nassau County.

The dog was adopted by the Argentos from the North Shore Animal League, which said that it was on a list to be euthanized. But Argento admitted that he didn't want Lilly when the family brought her home.

"It's funny--the wife brought it home," Argento told the paper. "I didn't want it."

After the fire, Argento said: "I'm blessed. What can you say? Everyone's OK. Everyone's safe."

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