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Dog’s heroic feat touches many hearts

Jeter the hero dog from Piqua. Jeter died in a house fire June 11, 2009 after alerting owners of the fire. Jeter and Kate Leininger (child) in front with owner Glenda Moss of Piqua and her daughter Jennie Leininger of Cincinnati. Jennie is Kate's mother. Jeter died Thursday, June 11, after alerting Moss and son David of a fire in their Piqua home.

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By Nancy Bowman, Staff Writer 1:31 AM Saturday, June 13, 2009

A day after Jeter, a Great Pyrenees, died in a fire after waking his family and saving their lives, people touched by his actions offered the family condolences and another companion.

The owner of Petland of Piqua offered Glenda Moss a companion pet of her choice, when and if she is ready.

“It’s really hard to hear when people lose their pet,” Jacque Lavy, store sales manager, said Friday, June 12, after she and store owner Ryan Hamel read of Jeter’s heroics.

“We wanted to do this. We are not here to replace him, but offer another companion,” Lavy said.

Connie Cawthon of Texas e-mailed Friday after reading about Jeter to let the Moss family know that her husband’s boss has a loving dog who needs a good home.

The boss, Steve Yeager of Greenville, Texas, said Toby is part Great Pyrenees and, like Jeter, was rescued.

“He is a big, lovey dog,” Yeager said.

He said he isn’t sure how Toby would get to Ohio, but Cawthon said she’d meet Moss halfway if needed.

People, most asking to remain anonymous, offered donations, a pet memorial and a pastel pet portrait of Jeter.

Jennie Leininger of Cincinnati, Moss’ daughter, said Friday she will pass along the offers to her mother.

“She said her broken heart was very warmed by all of the response, by people reaching out,” Leininger said.

Glenda Moss said Thursday she was awakened by a persistent Jeter as she slept in a recliner about 6 a.m. At first she tried to brush the 120-pound dog off, but then she smelled smoke.

Realizing there was a fire, Moss ran down the hall, woke up her son, David, 19, and fled with him and Jeter. Then, for unknown reasons Jeter went back inside the house, where he perished.

The dog was given to Moss three years ago by the wife of her boss, who found the dog at the Shelby County humane society. Jeter, Moss said, had been abused.

Firefighters said the fire started in the garage and spread to the house. The blaze caused an estimated $90,000 in damage to the house, a car in the garage and another car in the driveway.

The cause remained under investigation Friday, a fire department employee said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2292 or nbowman@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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