A family in the Italian town of Amatrice, which was the epicenter of the devastating earthquake that hit the country, told the amazing story of how they survived this natural disaster.

The family members are alive thanks to their puppy, named Mafia, according to L!FE news agency of Russia. Mafia had woken the whole family up just a few minutes before the seismic activity.

The dog’s owner said the animal had jumped on the bed and begun to bark loudly.

“First, we got angry because the whole family woke up, and we have a small child,” she said. “And suddenly the shakings began. We reacted quickly, since were no longer asleep. We thank our Mafia, that we are alive.”

Several strong tremors were recorded early morning hours on August 24 in central Italy.

According to latest data, the death toll in this quake has risen to over 280.