Firefighters Save 2 Dogs From West Pullman Fire
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Firefighters saved the lives of two dogs stuck in a burning home early Thursday morning in the West Pullman neighborhood.
CBS 2's Erin Kennedy reports flames were shooting out the window of a home near 117th Place and Lowe Avenue around 12:15 a.m. when firefighters first arrived.
The homeowners were not at home, but someone told firefighters there were two dogs inside, trapped in a back room, so firefighters fought their way inside and pulled out Bella, a shih tzu, and Patchy, a pit bull.
"Before we got them, they were pretty much unresponsive, breathing really hard," Fire Department Paramedic Brian O'Keefe said.
So crews used respirators with special pet masks to give oxygen to the two pups.
"The shih tzu was in pretty bad condition, but we have oxygen for them with the canine masks. We put the oxygen on them, and they start coming around," said Batalion Chief Tom Sutkus.
The dogs' gratitude was apparent, as Patchy wagged his tail inside the ambulance, banging it against the bench inside.
"Life is life. Human life, of course we do everything to risk a lot to save a lot, but when it comes to the animals, they had a good save. They had a quick save, brought them out," Sutkus said.
Two people were displaced by the fire. The cause was under investigation.
