BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — On Sunday night a loyal canine proved once again why dogs are man's’ best friend when he sacrificed his life to save a baby in a house fire. <br /> <br />Eight-month-old Viviana Poremski was upstairs in her family’s house in Baltimore when her house caught on fire, Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Samuel Johnson told NBC-affiliate WBALTV-11. <br /> <br />Her mother Erika, who had stepped outside just before the fire started, was unable to rescue her. <br /> <br />Poremski told NBC-affiliate WBALTV-11 that their dog Polo refused to leave the house and instead remained inside to protect Viviana, who was upstairs in the bedroom. <br /> <br />It took firefighters 30 minutes to put the fire under control. They found Polo’s body covering the baby as a shield. <br /> <br />Paramedics were able to resuscitate Vivianna at the scene, but she remains in serious condition with severe burns on her face, arm and side. <br /> <br />Although no other injuries to humans were reported, Polo did not survive. <br /> <br />A GoFundMe page has been set up by a good Samaritan to help the family to finance Viviana’s treatment.
