Northport Family Searching For 'Hero Kitty' Credited With Saving Their Lives

NORTHPORT, AL — Dogs often get all the praise as "Man's Best Friend," but one Northport family is actively searching for their beloved cat who is credited with saving his owners by alerting them to an early morning house fire Tuesday.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

The Acklin family is thankful to be alive after their home on Pelican Avenue in Northwood Lake went up in flames, with the house being viewed as a total loss following a large fire starting in the garage.

As Patch previously reported, homeowner Debbie Acklin posted to Patch's Facebook page Tuesday evening, where she told a harrowing story of the events that began when the "Hero Kitty" — the family cat, Sebastian — came into the bedroom and woke her up.

"The room was black and thick with smoke and soot," she said. "I jumped up and headed for the bedroom door. I had to cross the entire house to get out. The wall in the hall was ablaze. The fire had started under me in the garage. Blinded I followed the sound of our cat until I could hear my husband tell me to follow his voice. As I reached him he jerked me out of the house. When we compared notes, our cat had led each of us to safety. We don't know if he made it because we haven't seen since."

Amy Acklin, the daughter of the homeowners who also escaped the fire, confirmed to Patch on Thursday morning that the family is certain Sebastian made it out of the house. This comes after he was spotted on night vision security footage following the fire.

"The only thing I can think to add would be that he will probably be sticking close to home," she said. "And if anyone can confirm for sure with pictures that it’s him, that would be great."

In the meantime, the family has been picking up the pieces of their lives with help and generosity from those in the community.

A GoFundMe has been launched by a family friend to help cover short-term expenses, as the family lost nearly all of their possessions. Since it was created Tuesday night, the online fundraiser has received over $2,000 from 29 donors toward its goal of $10,000.

Click here to donate to the Acklin family.

Amy Acklin also said the family is gratefully accepting gift cards to Publix, Aldi, Fresh Market, Target, Walmart and any other place where groceries can be purchased in the area.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.