A true friend leaves paw prints on your heart.

That’s what doggie Gracie has done for Dana Glenn and Marty Dickens.

“She’s been a part of our lives for over five years. She’s helped me get over the death of just about all my family,” said Dickens.

On May 30, Dickens and an electrician noticed black smoke coming from upstairs. Everyone ran outside but their 90-pound dog was stuck inside. The couple tried four times to save Gracie from the flames but failed.

“Chief came over the radio and said that there was a big black dog in there and that’s kind of what we were looking for,” said Chris White.

Roanoke Fire Firefighter and EMS worker Chris White located the dog and handed it off to another fireman.

“And he had her like this and she looked just limp like dead weight I honestly thought that she had passed,” her owners said.

First responders rendered first aid and transported the dog in an ambulance to the Roanoke emergency vet, saving her life.

“I think people get complacent they think well that’s their job, they’re supposed to put the fire out, they’re supposed to get the bad guy you know they’re supposed to save a life you know. It doesn’t always work that way these are real people who are putting their lives on the line,” said Dickens.

On Thursday, Glen and Dickens visited the fire crew to thank them for their heroic actions.

“It means a lot for us to you know just do our jobs and have them come back and show their appreciation for what we did.”

Fire marshals say the fire was both electrical and accidental in nature.