Early dawn in January of 2010, Coco the chihuahua strove to awaken his owner and save his life, in a burning big-rig tractor trailer truck-cab.

The little dog was himself suffering from the smoke and fire while nudging the driver awake, an electrical malfunction having caused the vehicle to burst into flames.

The trucker would soon be transported to the Baltimore Burn Center with second-degree burns. Coco lost consciousness before they could get out of the truc Coco's owner Tim Harris gave him mouth-to-mouth. The dog was transported to the Hagerstown veterinarian clinic.

"If he hadn't woke me up we would both be dead," said Harris. In these screen-captures from the Fox News coverage, Coco is in an oxygen tent, with I-V and humidifier, undergoing intensive treatment for smoke inhalation, fighting to survive but with pneumonia-like breathing.

It was expected Coco would have to remain at the clinic for a couple of months, running up thousands of dollars of vet bills. The community began dropping by with donations for the tiny hero.

Coco rallied several times but by month's end gave up the fight. He was only four months old, but will be remembered for his heroic disposition and saving his master's life.