SHAH ALAM – Love often pushes people to do extraordinary things, sometimes even putting their own safety at risk.
A woman in the Philippines is being hailed as a hero after dramatically rescuing her two pet dogs from a raging fire by throwing them to safety from a third-floor walkway before escaping herself.
In a two-minute video that has gone viral on social media, including a clip shared by Instagram account @brutamerica, the woman was seen lifting one of her fluffy Pomeranians over a railing and calmly tossing it down to a group of firefighters and bystanders waiting below.
Thick, black smoke and flames could be seen billowing out of the burning building as the crowd successfully caught the dog.
She then repeated the act with her second dog, throwing it down moments later. While the video does not clearly show the landing, eyewitnesses in the comment section said both dogs were safely caught and unharmed.
After ensuring her pets were safe, the woman climbed over the railing in an attempt to reach a fireman’s ladder, which only extended up to the second floor.
The clip ends with her hanging onto the railing, her feet resting on the ladder’s tip, as a firefighter climbs up to assist in her rescue.
The incident occurred early on Dec 10 in Mandaue City, located in the central Philippine province of Cebu. According to media reports, the fire broke out in a three-storey building that housed a styrofoam manufacturing facility.
The blaze was brought under control within 40 minutes by the Mandaue Bureau of Fire Protection.
The woman was later identified by The Straits Times as Ei Mei Lee Maningo. She was rescued and treated for minor injuries, while both dogs were reported to be safe.
No casualties were recorded, although the building suffered severe damage.
Following the incident, social media users flooded the comment sections with praise, applauding Maningo’s selflessness and instinct to protect her pets before herself.
“She’s brave wow,” wrote @its_secondchances, while @isa7.anna commented, “God bless her.”
“She’s incredible, all in flip flops!!!” added @ashleyanlitsou.
Another user, @so_guzman226, said: “Dogs are family, you don’t leave them behind. Respect to her and I’m glad she was able to get out of the house to safety.”