A pitbull puppy was lucky to have survived a fire despite getting severe injuries. Now, he is living a really good life as an honorary fireman.
This puppy is Jake, and he was 3 weeks old when he was trapped in his owner’s shed in Charleston, South Carolina while it burned.
William Lindler is the family’s neighbor, and he said he felt helpless while he saw what was happening. He also works as a fireman at the Hanahan Fire Department. He said he was happy the family were safe, but he felt helpless when he couldn’t do anything to save the pitbull.
When the firemen were able to put out the fire, William looked for Jake. He saw the dog in a corner. Jake inhaled a lot of smoke, so William gave him breaths to his mouth while the oxygen mask wasn’t there yet.
75% of Jake’s body was burned. William said that the amount of burns could’ve killed most people. Jake proved to be stronger than people. He fought, and he survived.
Jake was brought to the clinic. A vet told them that Jake may not survive. Jake wasn’t in the best condition, so he was on antibiotics and morphine for 6 weeks.
Jake’s family wasn’t financially able to take care of his bills. The vet then declared Jake as an abandoned dog. It was a good thing that William adopted him.
Jake recovered in 4 months. When he went home with William, William still gave him antibiotics and other meds so that Jake’s skin would continue to heal.
When Jake was totally healthy, William would bring him during shifts at the fire department. The people there loved Jake. Staff at the town hall would visit and give him treats.
The fire chief saw how Jake was always with them at the station, and he decided to name Jake as an honorary firefighter. He also became the official mascot of the fire department.
Source: ABC News