Firefighters do a lot more than just stopping buildings from burning down. They are trained to save lives, and there are plenty of stories of heroic rescues of people and their pets. But one veteran Chicago firefighter went well beyond the call of duty when she resuscitated two pit bull terriers using oxygen and CPR after they were rescued from the rear porch of a burning block of flats.
Tammy Rodriguez was part of a firefighting team sent to a blaze in Bucktown, Illinois. She is a trained emergency medical technician and owner of three dogs, and it was her shrewd thinking and compassion that saved the lives of adult pit bill Howdy and puppy Hossa.
When Howdy was carried outside to Ms Rodriguez by a colleague, she was found to be suffering cardiac arrest. The other dog, Hossa, had suffered critical injuries. Initially, Ms Rodriguez gave oxygen to Howdy using a mask, and then started administering CPR. Although there was no reaction at first, the dog eventually started breathing, and then opened her eyes and got up.
Since the incident, Howdy has been allowed to meet members of the media at a press conference, whilst Hossa was sent to a vets to undergo treatment. Their owner was out at work when the fire started, and the cause of the blaze is being investigated. No people were injured.
In a world where the news is saturated with sadness, suffering and fear, we should celebrate stories like this as a reminder of the most endearing aspects of the human spirit. Tammy Rodriguez has claimed that she doesn’t regard herself as a hero, but what she did should be acknowledged. Firefighters definitely don’t get paid enough for their often courageous feats, so the least we can do is recognise their contribution in other ways.
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