A Palm Bay family owes their lives to their rescue dogs, who woke them from sleep during a house fire early Monday morning. The blaze, which started in a garage motorcycle battery, filled the home with smoke just as the couple, Ashley Pedersen and her husband, were asleep. Rux, a French Bulldog, and other rescue pups barked around 4 a.m., alerting the pair to the danger. Firefighters say the family likely would have been trapped otherwise. "If we didn’t wake up, which I don’t know if we would have," Pedersen said. "Just very thankful that they woke us up." The fire department reported the couple came within minutes of being overcome by smoke and heat. "A majority of the time, people just become incapacitated," said Palm Bay Fire Assistant Chief John Ringleb. "If they’re sleeping, they just don’t wake up." The Pedersens run the Space Coast Frenchie Rescue, a nonprofit that saves dogs daily. Their own pups returned the favor when it mattered most. The fire caused significant damage to the home but no injuries. The couple is now working with insurance and fire officials to assess next steps. Pedersen described the incident as "a twist of fate." The rescue organization, which typically saves dogs from neglect and abuse, now has a new story to tell about their own furry heroes. The blaze was contained quickly by firefighters, who credited the dogs’ early warning with preventing a tragedy. "They’re not just pets," Pedersen said. "They’re part of the family."