Abbotsford Firefighters Receive Peta Award For Saving Dog From House Fire

First Responders Whisk Unconscious Dog From Burning Building and Revive Her With Special Animal Oxygen Mask

For Immediate Release:
July 19, 2016

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

A Compassionate Fire Department Award is on its way from PETA to the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service, which responded to a house fire on Laburnum Avenue on July 12—and when the home’s human residents alerted firefighters that the family’s dog, Bella, was still indoors, rescuers rushed inside and retrieved the unconscious animal. It took several minutes, but they were able to revive her with a special animal oxygen mask. Local veterinarian Dr. Jatinder Mundi rushed to the scene to asses her condition, and Bella was transported to a veterinary hospital where she was treated for minor burns to her feet, and she is now recovering in the home of one of the firefighters while her family is displaced from its fire-ravaged home.

Bella was treated at Dr. Mundi’s office.

“These firefighters had the knowledge, the resources, and the determination to save this dog from a painful, terrifying death,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA hopes their kindness will inspire others to come to the aid of animals in need.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—encourages all animal guardians to put a sign on doors or windows to alert rescue workers to the presence of dogs, cats, and other animal companions. Families can order stickers from the PETA Catalog or make their own.

Although the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service was equipped with animal oxygen masks, not all fire crews are. Animal advocates have launched a fundraiser to purchase these oxygen masks for all fire departments in British Columbia.

The Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service will receive a framed certificate, a box of delicious vegan cookies, and a copy of The Engine 2 Diet—a Texas firefighter’s 28-day plan for staying in prime firefighting shape by eating plant-based foods.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.