Rocky, a 10-year-old Indianapolis dog is lucky to be alive today. Firefighters pulled the unconscious dog from his burning home, and thanks to pet safety training classes firefighters and paramedics receive, along a pet oxygen mask, the dog can keep on wagging his tail and enjoying his life.
On August 20, 2014, a fire started in one of the home’s bedrooms and consumed the entire home. No one other than Rocky was home at the time of the fire.
According to USA Today, hero rescuers found the dog in a bedroom under some debris. Firefighter Mike Barrett pulled the dog out and handed him to paramedic Matt Heithoff. It was Heithoff who saved the pet’s life when he tried to insert a breathing tube down the dog’s throat. The tube caused Rocky to gag and cough up fluid. This cleared his lungs and allowed the dog to breathe again.
“It was a good sign that (Rocky) was breathing and trying to breathe, so I figured the medics might have a chance,” Barrett said. “We happened to get lucky.”
The dog was placed under a pet oxygen mask to aid his breathing and was later taken to the Indianapolis Veterinary Emergency Center.
Rocky is expected to make a full recovery.
