Firefighters responding to a house fire in Coquitlam Wednesday morning had to do more than just put out a blaze.
Crews arrived to the home in the 2100-block of Craigen Avenue to find flames licking up the side of the building and smoke coming through the roof.
The homeowners were standing outside and told first responders their nine-year-old Shih Tsu was still inside.
The dog, Mimi, was rescued from the home, but was suffering smoke inhalation. Crews revived it using a piece of rescue gear made specially for pets.
"It had a very weak pulse and it was having troubles breathing. We have a special pet rescue kit on our rescue trucks. Crews deployed that right away and started giving the dog oxygen,” said Assistant Chief Gary Mulligan of Coquitlam Fire Rescue.
The dog was transported to an animal hospital via ambulance.
The special masks have been used by the department for 12 years, but are only used once a year or so.
“They do a great job,” Mulligan says of the pet technology.
Mayor Richard Stewart, who lives around the corner, rushed outside to help after he heard the commotion.
Stewart praised first responders for jumping into action to help the pooch after knocking down the fire.
“This was quite an experience to see firefighters and paramedics work that diligently to save an animal. I was quite touched by that moment. It was quite important,” he said.
The mayor said it was his first time seeing the pet oxygen mask being deployed, but he believed it was a key tool for firefighters in his city.
“As a dog owner myself there are lots of residents of Coquitlam who want to be prepared in that kind of reality,” Stewart said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. It’s believed it started in a basement suite.
The homeowners told CTV Vancouver Wednesday afternoon that the pup was in a very precarious state, and were hoping for it to pull through.
