Hero Dog Who Saved Family from Fire Returns Home After 2 Months Missing
Like the great masters Benji and Snoopy before him, Tank had but two desires in life: to save people and maybe walk the earth a little bit. Now, he has accomplished both.
In February, Calvin and Shae Bice's home in Millican, Texas, caught fire in the middle of the night. With everyone asleep and smoke filling the home fast, it was Tank's barking that woke family members and allowed them to get out of the home before smoke and carbon monoxide overtook them.
While everyone in the Bice family made it out safe and sound, the home did suffer significant fire damage before the situation was brought under control. The family temporarily moved into a camper while repairs were underway. It was on the first night there that Tank, secured outside because of space constraints, decided that—much like Caine—his heroism was needed elsewhere and he was compelled to answer the call of adventure.
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The Bice family, as one might expect, didn't share in his enthusiasm. Already stressed by their brush with death and the damage to their home, losing a loved one like Tank was just piling on.
"I put up flyers. I put it on social media. I called every rescue, pound, hospital," Shae told KBTX.
Her posts and phone calls continued until Tuesday, when the family received a call from Kristi Schiller, owner of nearby Schiller Ranch. Kristi's husband saw a flier at the post office and realized Tank bore a more than passing resemblance to a dog that had recently showed up on their property. Kristi gave the Bice's a call and the reunion was finalized.
Not only was the Bice family glad to have their beloved Tank back, but they were given an extra dash of relief when they found out where he had gone. Because does Kristi Schiller work for the local pound or perhaps Cruella DeVille? No, Schiller runs K9s4Cops, a nonprofit that helps secure K-9 officers for police departments around the country. So when Tank wandered away from home, he just happened to find someone who is well versed in the appreciation, care, and handling of several Very Good Bois.
Tank is home now, his sense of adventure satisfied (at least for the time being!), and happy to be back with his humans. For their part, the Bice family says that his days of wanderlust are fully behind him.
"I never gave up. My husband never gave up. My kids never gave up," Shae told KBTX. "He's never getting out of my sight again, ever."
