Baltimore mother Erika Poremski regards her dog, Polo, as her first baby. Now, she will always regard him as a hero.

Poremski quickly left her home to get something out of her car. When the mother turned around, her house was completely engulfed in flames. Her 8-month-old, Viviana was trapped inside.

“I just heard her crying, and I couldn’t get to her,” Poremski tearfully told WBAL-TV. “I tried really hard, everyone in the neighborhood tried. They were kicking the doors in and kicking the windows out. I couldn’t get her out. Nobody could.”

The terrified mother has burns on her hands and face from trying to get into the home. Believing the worst had happened, both she and firefighters were stunned by what they found.

Inside Viviana’s bedroom, they found Polo. His body was completely covering Viviana. The baby girl was safely nestled underneath the heroic dog who gave his own life to save hers. Polo used his body to shield the baby from the flames.

“She only had burns on her side because of it,” Poremski said. “He stayed with her the whole time in the bedroom and wouldn’t even come downstairs to get out the door.”

Viviana remains in the hospital, but the community has already rallied their support. In a few short days, they have raised $37,994 through GoFundMe.