Clarington firefighters rescued two dogs, an alert Pug and an unconscious chocolate Labrador Retriever, from a Courtice house fire on Saturday, May 27.
The Pug, named Dolly, appeared unharmed from the fire. Charlie, the Chocolate Lab, was unresponsive and had no detectable heartbeat. At the scene, Clarington firefighters, Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) Canine Unit, and paramedics worked to resuscitate the dog with the help of the pet oxygen mask carried on the fire truck.
The Chocolate Lab was taken to the animal hospital for veterinary care. The dog is currently recuperating at the animal hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, said a Clarington statement.
The call came in at 9:48 p.m. The first firefighters to arrive on the scene began searching the house upstairs to ensure no residents were asleep in the bedrooms. Fortunately, the residents were not home at the time. After finding the bedrooms empty, firefighters moved to the main level, where the fire had started in the kitchen, said a municipal statement.
“The smoke was thick. We had zero visibility,” said Firefighter Sam Graham.
Firefighters found the Chocolate Labrador Retriever lying on the floor. As they picked up the dog, they saw the second dog nearby. They rescued both dogs from the home before going back into the building to put out the fire.
In total, seven fire vehicles responded to the scene. The fire was extinguished quickly but caused smoke and fire damage to the home. There were no injuries.
