Pit Bull Saves Family From Fire - But Now Homeless

By every definition of the word, a pit bull named Diamond from Hayward, California is a hero.

Last October, the apartment her owners lived in caught on fire from an electrical problem.  Diamond started barking to wake them up, and they got out.  At least, most of them did.

The youngest of the family's two daughters was trapped inside as the flames engulfed the building.  When firefighters finally got to her, she was hiding under a mattress, and Diamond was laying on top of it, protecting her from the flames.

The girl survived.  Diamond suffered severe burns on 30% of her body, but recovered.

Now her family is having a tough time finding a new place to live, because landlords hate pit bulls.  Even heroic pit bulls.

Darryl Steen owns Diamond.  He says that dozens of landlords have turned them away, even ones who say that pets are welcome.

Pit bulls do have a bad reputation, so even though Diamond has an incredible resume and references, that hasn't been good enough to sway anyone.

For now, the family is living in a temporary apartment, and Diamond is living with relatives.  (NBC 10 - Knoxville)