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Firefighter Pays It Forward 21 Years Later by Saving Dog’s Life

When Rob Lee was 6 years old, a fire broke out in his family’s Fresno, Calif., house on the day before the Fourth of July. All of his family members were able to get out safely, including Lee’s dog, Mackie, who was carried out by a firefighter before the house collapsed in flames.

Inspired by that hero who saved Mackie’s life, Lee became a firefighter. He worked with several other fire departments before getting his dream job with the Fresno Fire Department.

Fast-forward to exactly 21 years after that house fire. On July 3, Lee was one of the firefighters who responded to a Fresno house fire that was probably ignited by fireworks that had set a nearby tree ablaze. Inside the house was a 10-year-old English Bulldog named Samson.

“There was a firefighter already inside tending to a dog and they were trying to get the dog out,” Lee told KFSN. “The dog had already bit that firefighter, so they were trying to get the dog out of the structure safely.”

With his helmet cam recording the rescue on video, Lee entered the burning house and saved Samson’s life.

“Houses can be rebuilt but dogs can’t be replaced,” Lee told KFSN.

Samson was treated for smoke inhalation, according to his owner, James Verdugo, who’s a veteran and suffers from PTSD. “He’s all I cared about,” Verdugo told KMPH. He wasn’t home at the time of the fire, but his roommates were, and were able to escape to safety.

After Verdugo got a call that his house was on fire and was driving home, he got another call that Samson had been rescued. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more overjoyed in the middle of so much tragedy,” he told KMPH. “It’s like everything was okay, even though my house was gone.”

Working with the Fresno Fire Department is “an absolute honor,” Lee told KFSN. “I can’t believe that I get to do this job.”

An online fundraiser to cover the cost of Samson’s $6,000 veterinarian bill has already raised over $5,000. You can make a contribution here.

Updated July 9, 2020

Photo: @VanessaABC30/Twitter

Firefighters Rush Dog Injured in Car Crash to Animal Hospital

If you’re going to be involved in a rollover crash with your dog beside you in your vehicle, one of the best places to end up would be near firefighters in a fire station, right?

That’s exactly what happened to a man who was driving with his Australian Shepherd in an SUV along a road in Canyon Country, Calif. He apparently somehow lost control, and the SUV crashed and rolled over. It landed on its side on the lawn of Los Angeles County Fire Station 128.

The firefighters ran out, pulled the man from the wreckage, and rushed him to a hospital in an ambulance.

Meanwhile, the Australian Shepherd had managed to jump out a window and was trying to hide near some stairs. The firefighters were able to successfully coax him onto a stretcher and took him, in another ambulance, to a nearby animal hospital in Santa Clarita. Their compassionate efforts were captured on video.

Both the man and his dog are in critical condition, according to the firefighters. If the car hadn’t ended up where it did, neither of the accident victims may have survived.

“Three of us worked together not only to provide care to the hurt Australian Shepherd but to also provide timely transportation to a local veterinary clinic,” Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Nick Berkuta told CBS Los Angeles. “To have fire resources available immediately allowed for us to provide him with the best possible that we can.”

According to CBS Los Angeles, the dog wasn’t restrained inside the SUV. Being tossed around so violently during the crash probably contributed to his injuries — an important reason why it’s never a good idea to leave your dog unsecured in your vehicle. But do be aware that most car restraints for pets failed crash tests in a 2011 study by the non-profit Center for Pet Safety, perhaps because there currently are no government or industry standards for these safety devices. Still, it’s safer to use a restraint since it can prevent your dog from becoming a projectile, not only injuring himself but other passengers in the vehicle.

Here’s wishing the man and the Australian Shepherd speedy recoveries. Many thanks to the heroes at Los Angeles County Fire Station 128 for making sure they were both quickly treated for their injuries.

Photo: CBS Los Angeles/YouTube

Hero Firefighter Brings Dead Dog Back to Life

As Andrew Klein worked with 22 other firefighters to put out a blaze in a Santa Monica, Calif., apartment Tuesday, he discovered an unconscious Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix.

“As soon as I grabbed him, I knew that he was unresponsive just by his dead weight,” Klein told KTLA. He carried the lifeless 10-year-old dog, named Nalu, outside.

Nalu wasn’t breathing and had no pulse, so Klein began performing CPR and mouth-to-snout resuscitation on him — for 20 minutes, until the dog was finally revived. Klein then provided Nalu with oxygen using a pet-sized mask.

Nalu’s owner, Crystal Lamirande, came home to find her apartment on fire. She tried to save Nalu herself, but the smoke was too thick. She told KTLA she stood there in shock as Klein worked to save her dog’s life. “I’m a nurse, and now I know how family members feel when they watch us do CPR on their family members,” she said. “It’s awful.”

The firefighters were able to put out the blaze in about 10 minutes, KTLA reports. No one besides Nalu was injured.

“It was pretty amazing, because I’ve been on a number of animal rescues like this that did not come out the same way that Nalu’s story did,” Klein told KTLA. He’d only performed mouth-to-snout resuscitation a few times in his career. “It was definitely a win for the whole team and the department that we got him back.”

Lamirande said she lost everything in the fire, with one important exception: her best friend Nalu, thanks to Klein’s heroic efforts. She brought Nalu to the fire station Thursday to thank him again for saving her dog’s life.

“Our goal is to save people, and sometimes we’re not able to do that despite our best efforts,” Klein told KABC. “But to have a success story just like this, even with Nalu being a dog, he’s a life and a life that matters. That was just a great morale booster for all of the guys here in our department.”

Photo via Twitter