The story from Reuters is on MSNBC:

A dog was hailed as a hero on Sunday after it risked its life to save a litter of newborn kittens from a house fire, rescuers said.

In a case which gives the lie to the saying about “fighting like cats and dogs,” the terrier cross named Leo had to be revived with oxygen and heart massage after his ordeal. Fire broke out overnight at the house in Australia’s southern city of Melbourne, where he was guarding the kittens.

Firefighters who revived Leo said he refused to leave the building and was found by them alongside the litter of kittens, despite thick smoke.

Good dog. Cats and dogs fighting? I thought it was a question of communication issues. A Tel Aviv University study reported in Science Daily explains how the two species can learn to get along:

In homes where cat/dog détente existed, Prof. Terkel observed a surprising behavior. “We found that cats and dogs are learning how to talk each other’s language. It was a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’ and vice versa.”

What’s especially interesting, Prof. Terkel remarks, is that both cats and dogs have appeared to evolve beyond their instincts. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two species may have more in common than was previously suspected.

The study of course concludes that if there is hope for these animals, people also have a chance. Leo the dog managed to not only guard the kittens but more importantly he communicated risk (value, threat, vulnerability) to the fire fighters.