Elkford Fire Rescue resuscitated a family dog yesterday after responding to a kitchen fire in a duplex home.
The team resuscitated Gibson, the family dog that they found unconscious upon entry. This serves as the first time the fire department has used their pet mask to provide oxygen to a canine.
“When we dragged the little guy out, we never thought the outcome was going to be positive,” said Fire Chief Corey Kortmeyer. He says the fire department has carried the oxygen mask for a number of years, but hasn’t needed to use it before.
“They brought him out and started immediately giving him oxygen which saved his life,” said Sara Lethbridge, owner of the pet. The five-year-old Golden Retreiver was later taken to the vet and is expected to recover.
“He’s in good spirits, he’s running around and playing and acting like our dog again,” she said.
Three cats were also taken from the residence, and the family is safe.
Neighbours called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the main floor. Upon arrival, the team extinguished the fire, which caused minor damage to both sides of the duplex.
“It was a remarkable outcome,” said Kortmeyer. “It could have been a lot worse.”
The Fire Chief says that the crew was able to knock down the fire shortly after entering the home.
“It’s never a call you want to recieve,” said Lethbridge, “but knowing that the fire department responded so quickly and efficiently and had the fire out with minimal damage to either home was amazing. The response time was awesome.”