Heroic Firefighter Saves Dog Trapped in Blaze With CPR
Turns out firefighters are good with other dogs beside Dalmatians.
A fireman in Santa Monica, Calif. saved a dog that had been trapped inside an apartment that went up in flames by performing CPR on the animal.
The dog in question is a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu named Nalu. He was trapped inside the apartment when his owner, Crystal Lamirande, came home to discover the blaze. She couldn't navigate her way into the apartment to save the pooch and told firefighters the pet was still inside.
Andrew Klein teamed up with a fellow fireman and got Nalu out of the apartment.
“He was totally lifeless,” Klein said. “I picked him up and ran out of the apartment because time is key, especially with a small dog … Failure was not an option."
Klein and another rescue workers spent 20 minutes performing dog-to-snout resuscitation. The Santa Monica Fire Department put out a statement on the matter, saying, in part, "Firefighters performed CPR and provided oxygen through our 'Pet Oxygen Masks,' a standard piece of equipment that all Santa Monica Fire Department units carry. After 20 minutes, the dog began breathing on its own and regained consciousness, even regaining the ability to walk around. With the help of caring neighbors, a local animal hospital was found and the pet was transferred for further care."
No humans were reported in the fire. Klein, meanwhile, was thrilled with how things turned out. “He was essentially dead, so to see him kissing people and walking around wagging his tail was definitely a good feeling,” he said.