The Hilton family's SUV caught fire while they were inside a restaurant in Asheville Monday morning.
Their dog, Abby, was trapped inside the burning vehicle.
Chad Reiginter saw the smoke and the dog, and knew exactly what to do.
"I just grabbed my pocket knife and started smashing windows, and I tried to reach the dog through the first window and he wouldn't come out, so I just started smashing windows and all of a sudden he ran out the back window and took off," Reiginter said.
The Hiltons believe wiring in the SUV caught fire, sparking the blaze.