FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A panicked parrot named Pearly is being credited with saving a Florida family's life thanks to its high-pitched squawk.
Laurajean Niesel and her fiance woke up to the bird's frantic chirp early Monday morning.
"I heard the bird squawking and flapping its wings and woke up to see what was wrong," Niesel said. "I saw smoke coming from the laundry room."
Niesel said Pearly alerted them before the fire alarms could even go off. She was able to call 911 and firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading to the rest of the house.
"My children never liked the bird and Dave never liked the bird either," Niesel said, "So, now, maybe the bird will be in a better light to my family."
It seems Pearly's loud squawk, once deemed an annoyance, may actually be the sound of a hero.