麻豆传媒映画

A house fire can be a deadly situation for a pet, but this weekend, despite dire circumstances, a seven-month-old black lab will pull through thanks to the fast action of firefighters.

The puppy was home in South 麻豆传媒映画when a fire broke out. 麻豆传媒映画Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) were called just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 31 to the fire at 1268 East 60 Ave, according to Assistant Chief Kenny Gemmill.

The first crew that arrived set up to attack the fire and the second went into the basement and found the fire, Gemmill says. They were able to knock it down quickly, and found the severely injured puppy nearby.

"They pulled the puppy out and immediately gave him supplemental oxygen," he says. "We prepare for animals we have to rescue sometimes."

The crews had specialized oxygen masks for pets and were able to get it on the motionless dog. A video shared by the firefighters' union on Twitter shows the rescue.

"They worked on the dog for about 45 minutes until the dog owner thought it was in good enough shape to take to vet," says Gemmill.

Along with smoke inhalation, the young dog was suffering from a badly burned leg and was overheated after being so close to the fire for so long. Firefighters cleaned the wound and kept the dog cool with cold water.

While the puppy had a rough 24 hours, Gemmill says the owner let the firefighters know he was pulling through.

"The owner was there to watch and was very thankful," he adds.

VFRS Chief Karen Fry also expressed her thanks, via Twitter.

"This is an amazing story. Our  crews (B shift halls #17 & #5) found this pup in the fire unit. While he did suffer a minor burn and smoke inhalation we hear that he’s doing well!" she wrote on Twitter.

No one else was injured in the fire.

Gemmill says structure fires are always a serious situation, and for pets they pose a particular danger. While humans understand the need to evacuate immediately, that's not always the case for animals.

"They don't always know to leave the fire or not," he explains.

Luckily the fire department is equipped with gear to help animals if they find them in time.

It wasn't the only dog rescue of the weekend, as firefighters in Kitsilano helped a dog from the top of a small cliff.