Hero Jogger Stops at Burning Home, Uses Ring Doorbell to Get Inside and Rescue Pets

If he’d arrived 10 minutes later, it would’ve been too late. By Austin Cannon December 08, 2021 Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
jogger carrying pets out of burning house Credit: Courtesy of Inside Edition

To me, you can become a hero just by deciding to go out on a jog, an absolutely oppressive form of exercise. But stopping your jog to save a group of pets from a burning house? That's the making of a superhero. 

Paul Murphy was jogging last month in Scotts Valley, Calif., when he saw a smoking garage. He stopped at the house and pressed the button on the newly installed Ring doorbell camera. No one was home, so he at first heard a recording before a woman's voice came through the speaker. 

"Hello?" he says in the video. "There's smoke coming out of the top of your house." 

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Not good! Courtney Polito, who owns the home and was the voice coming through the Ring speaker, told KSBW she heard the house's smoke alarms going off, so she gave Murphy the security code to enter her home and grab the Polito family pets: two dachshunds, a cat, and a rabbit.   

He retrieved them all from the burning home and took off before the family could truly thank him. (Another superhero move.) The fire department told Polito her family would've lost everything in 10 minutes if Murphy hadn't stopped his jog. 

"I want to give him a hug. I'll bring him to lunch. I'll bring him dinner. I don't know … I just want to thank him so much and let him know how thankful we are. My kids, my husband, we would be devastated if we lost our pets let alone our home," Polito told the TV station. 

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KSBW reports that the Scotts Valley Fire Department may award Murphy with a commendation, which would be well-earned for this humble hero.