Dachshund Dodges Disaster in House Fire Without a Scratch

Don't underestimate the resourcefulness of Peanut, the Texas-tough 5-year-old dachshund who survived an Austin house fire.

KXAN-TV of Austin reported that the two-story south Austin home of the Trafton family caught fire on Sunday when the family was out for lunch.

Peanut the dachshund was reunited with his family after surviving a house fire. (Image source: KXAN-TV)

The home was destroyed in the fire and firefighters rescued three dogs from the home, but did not find the fourth dog – Peanut, or the family cat, and assumed both had died. Fire officials determined the fire started due to an electrical malfunction in a window air conditioning unit.

"I had been asking them for two days to just find his body, so that we could get him taken care of. Because, there is no way we would have thought he would have survived," homeowner owner Gail Trafton said. "There's nothing left of the house, and lo and behold, there he is."

The next day, an insurance investigator came out to inspect the home and noticed a dachshund. The family took him to the veterinarian where he was treated for smoke inhalation and dehydration. But other than that, he was mostly unscathed.

"There was not a scratch on him," Gail Trafton said. "He's not even dirty, so it's amazing how he got out."

Gail Trafton does foster care for the Diamond Dachshund Rescue of Texas, so the organization is now helping the family with pet supplies.

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