An Addison firefighter is being hailed a K-9 hero after he saved a dog’s life by performing CPR.
Yvette Childers was driving to work in her RV home when suddenly the engine caught fire and flames quickly spread through the cab.
She managed to escape, but her 1-year-old Chihuahua, Pony, was trapped in the back.
“I’m standing there watching it burn and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god, that dog,’” Childers said.
When firefighters arrived she frantically told them about her dog, and using hatchets they forced their way inside.
Capt. Scott Ledet described what it was like when he found the dog.
“She was in the very back of the crate, lying on her side. Her eyes were open and she was lifeless,” he said.
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“I took off my helmet and mask off and removed her from her cage and just started doing CPR on her like I would a human,” Ledet said. “I actually spread her mouth open and put my lips down to the bottom of her throat and was giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation that way.”
It took nearly 30 minutes of CPR, chest compressions and oxygen before Pony started to show signs of life.
After suffering a seizure, she finally began to grasp for air and blink her eyes, Ledet said.
Within an hour, she was back on her feet.
“I’m so glad you were there because I couldn’t have taken it. You can lose everything, but not the little animal,” Childers said through tears, speaking to Ledet.
“I never thought twice about not performing CPR on the dog. It was never a question,” said Ledet, a self-proclaimed dog lover.
Childers was living in the RV that burned, so she lost most of her belongings and is currently looking for a new home with the assistance of the American Red Cross.
She said she’s just grateful to have Pony with her.
“I call her the luckiest little miracle dog,” Childers said.
Friends of Childers have set up a fund through to help her get back her feet, click here to find her GoFundMe page.
