Knowing what to do in an emergency situation is a skill not all of us have. The panic that can set in means making plans on the spot doesn't always work out too well - but I doubt even the most prepared of us would consider the possibility of performing life-saving techniques on dogs.
However, one animal control officer made sure to get straight to work saving the lives of a group of puppies after they were saved from a house fire.
The fire began in a home in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma on Friday morning, with the authorities notified by a mail delivery worker who spotted the fire.
The fire department soon arrived and pulled the three young dogs out, but even then, they were struggling to breathe. The same mail worker told animal control officer Chris Brassfield of the state that they were in, and bystanders reportedly brought their limp bodies over to him when he arrived on the scene.
Going the extra mile, Brassfield performed life-saving mouth-to-mouth CPR on the three puppies. According to Fox 23 Tulsa, he said that his instincts took over and there was "no hesitation" before he did what he had to do.
“It was a little gross but, you know, you just kinda gotta do what you’re hired to do,” he said.
The first of the puppies is said to have come to soon after, but the other two pups were slow to wake and needed further treatment. Luckily, Brassfield knew exactly what to do, and revived them with the help of a car air conditioner.
“I told the owners to put them in a truck, crank the air up,” he said. “They’re all fine, doing well now.”
The Fort Gibson Police Department shared a video of him saving the animals, writing that they commended the actions of both the ACO and the fire department that morning. They also confirmed that no one else was home at the time of the fire, aside from the puppies, who were suffering from smoke inhalation.
The post read:
"ACO Brassfield with the assistance from some bystanders and the fireman that were on scene immediately began working on the pups on their hands and knees for several minutes. The three puppies were revived and given oxygen and are now doing fine thanks to the quick actions and response by Officer Brassfield and the assistance of the Fireman and the bystanders.
"The Fire Department was able to contain the fire and save the structure. Great job from everyone. We love our little community."
Facebook users quickly came forward to show their appreciation for his actions. “Thank you Officer Brassfield and firemen who helped,” one Facebook user wrote. “You just earned a star in heaven!”
Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire, and the puppies are all in good health thanks to Brassfield's quick thinking.
