No shaggy dog story: ‘Little fighter’ puppy saved from burning Limerick house by firefighters

It was a first for a fire brigade crew who’ve been involved in nearly every type of rescue imaginable.

The “White Watch” crew from Limerick City Fire Brigade expected the worst when they were told people might be trapped in a blaze at a two-storey house in the Prospect area.

Fireman Paul Greensmith said that when the crew arrived, the fire “was fully alight and black smoke was pouring from the house”.

He continued: “We were prepared for the worst, as we’d been told there might be people inside. Two teams equipped with breathing apparatus went into the building. They were equipped with thermal-imaging equipment and found a tiny puppy hiding under a cupboard in the sitting room, where the fire had started,” Paul said.

“It was a miracle they found him, because of the thick smoke. When they got him out, we thought he was dead.”

Then, one of the firemen grabbed an oxygen bag and mask, which is used for resuscitating infants, and they moulded it to the puppy’s face.

They also rubbed his tummy.

By now, a crowd had gathered at the scene and were watching anxiously as the firemen went to work on the puppy.

“His mouth was foaming, so we cleaned it with a surgical swab. In a couple of minutes, he came around and his little ears pricked up. Everyone was just thrilled and the bystanders all cheered. Fortunately, there weren’t any people in the house,” said

Paul, adding it was the first time they had resuscitated a pup.

“We honestly thought he was as good as gone, but he’s a little fighter, that’s for sure.”

The dog was reunited with his grateful owner.

“There was a happy ending and, for us, that was particularly nice, because, I’m afraid that through no fault of our own, we have to deal with a lot of tragedies,” said Paul.