Apollo the “Miracle Dog” is a fighter, says firefighter Derek Richard, who was at the dog’s home in Nova Scotia.
Forty minutes after neighbors reported the burning house, the fire brigade arrived – Apollo was home alone when the fire broke out. Richard told CBC News that he was going through the house and saw the 11-year-old dog on the kitchen floor. He picked up the dog and passed him to another firefighter who took him out of the house. “It’s actually a miracle this dog was still alive,” Richard said.
The average temperature of a house fire is 100 Celsius – 212 Fahrenheit. Talk about a miracle!
A Team Effort
Once outside, neighbors and paramedics rallied to help Apollo. They assessed the poor pup and poured water on Apollo to keep him cool: the temperature outside topped 30°C (86°F) that day. “It was like he was welcoming the help,” Richard told CBC. “You could see it… when I carried him, he was just limp. Like, he let me do whatever I had to do.”
“We are so incredibly grateful to everyone that helped with our house fire and to everyone that helped get our old boy out. He truly is our miracle boy,” said Donna Frizzle, the homeowner. She said Apollo has been resting and will revisit the vet this week to double-check his lungs because of smoke exposure.
Lying Low in a Fire
Steve Currie, a firefighter and spokesperson for the fire department, said that Apollo has taught everyone a great lesson on fire safety and the importance of keeping low to the ground to avoid inhaling thick smoke.”If there’s ever a fire, stay really low…that made a substantive difference in Apollo’s survival.”
Case in point: a dog in England recently survived a house fire by hiding under the bed — keeping low. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s name has been changed from Dickie to “Lucky Dickie”.
