Firefighters, medics save dogs from burning home
RAYMOND, Wash. -- Firefighters and medics are being hailed as heroes for rescuing 10 dogs from a burning house, then using CPR to bring them back to life.
The fire broke out Tuesday in the kitchen of a home, and lethal smoke quickly spread through the house. The homeowners were not home at the time, but their toy poodles were inside, near death.
Firefighters rescued the dogs, and emergency medical technicians Caitlyn Burbank and Casey Jo Clifton went to work, resuscitating as many as they could.
"We instantly hooked them up to oxygen, which has spouts in the rig, and had them all masked," Burbank said.
The EMTs initially thought they'd only be able to save a few of the dogs, but they manged to do much more -- they saved all of them. And on Thanksgiving day, they got their reward when they were reunited with the dogs they had saved.
The EMTs said they don't get much training in animal CPR, but when they saw the dogs limping and dying, they instinctively jumped into action.
"For me, it was, 'These people just lost their house. They need something to come home to,'" said Burbank.
"We thought we were going to have a not-so-successful outcome, but we had a successful one," added Clifton.
With names like Sonny, Cher, Polar Bear and Snowball, the toy poodles are looking for new homes. The owners of the dogs relinquished them since they no longer have a permanent place for them.
"They're loving, well-adjusted," said Dee Roberts of Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals. "They just want somebody to love them. That's all."
The dogs will be spayed or neutered over the weekend, and be available for adoption Monday through the group HAVA.
The fire broke out Tuesday in the kitchen of a home, and lethal smoke quickly spread through the house. The homeowners were not home at the time, but their toy poodles were inside, near death.
Firefighters rescued the dogs, and emergency medical technicians Caitlyn Burbank and Casey Jo Clifton went to work, resuscitating as many as they could.
"We instantly hooked them up to oxygen, which has spouts in the rig, and had them all masked," Burbank said.
The EMTs initially thought they'd only be able to save a few of the dogs, but they manged to do much more -- they saved all of them. And on Thanksgiving day, they got their reward when they were reunited with the dogs they had saved.
The EMTs said they don't get much training in animal CPR, but when they saw the dogs limping and dying, they instinctively jumped into action.
"For me, it was, 'These people just lost their house. They need something to come home to,'" said Burbank.
"We thought we were going to have a not-so-successful outcome, but we had a successful one," added Clifton.
With names like Sonny, Cher, Polar Bear and Snowball, the toy poodles are looking for new homes. The owners of the dogs relinquished them since they no longer have a permanent place for them.
"They're loving, well-adjusted," said Dee Roberts of Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals. "They just want somebody to love them. That's all."
The dogs will be spayed or neutered over the weekend, and be available for adoption Monday through the group HAVA.
People shouldnt have 10 dogs.
Just curious -- why do stories like this get better writers and much more information than, say, a person arrested while in the midst of a heinous crime, such as rape or murder? That sort of story only receives two or three sentences, mostly repeating the previous sentence(s) and sometimes not even a location.
"...Firefighters rescued the dogs, and emergency management technicians..."
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Emergency MANAGEMENT technicians?? Hmmmmm.
Was this fire in the US. Â I don't "bless" police or fire employees as their union, making high wages and are expected to do what they do. Â They do not do anything special.
 @RandyH Be sure and tell them if your house is on fire or you need medical assistance. However, lucky for you they will continue to do their jobs and save you. You ungrateful TROLL!!
@RandyHÂ Â Â Yes, it was in the US. If you read the article you would see that it was in Raymond, Washington. And, dumb a-s-s, all our public safety and service people ARE heros to some of us AND we do bless them. A couple mo-rons talking crap like you will never affect much less change the true facts.
Fore fighters save mans Best friends :) this is a good story, but I hope that the family learned a lesson about leaving things unattended.
Bless our firefighters and EMTs..! Â Â Our Salem Fire Dept had a fund-raising drive a while back, raising money to buy some special oxygen masks for animals; masks for humans are too large to use on dogs and cats... Â I was very happy to donate to that one..! Â Â
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It's wonderful that they were able to save all these little poodles; so sad that the owners couldn't keep them, but I imagine that it would be hard to find a place that would allow 10 dogs... Â These little dogs are awfully cute, though, and I'll bet they'll find new homes real fast..! Â :-)