DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — One family is thanking first responders for saving the lives of two of their cats during a house fire in Dothan on Monday evening.
The owner of the home on Lucy Lane in Dothan said that he had gone out to his garage to use his soldering iron and then back into the house. The next thing he saw was the right side of his home up in flames.
Crews rushed to the scene, knocked down the fire caused by the soldering iron, and contained the damage to one side of the house.
The homeowner was able to make it out safely, but he told crews that five cats were inside. Sadly, three of the cats died in the home, but two of the cats were rescued.
One of which firefighters thought was dead, but EMTs saw a sign of life.
"My partner and I realized that the cat was still breathing, so we pulled the cat into the yard and were able to flood it with oxygen and suction out the soot from its airway, " Pilcher's Ambulance Advanced EMT, Bryanne Throckmorton said.
Throckmorton and her partner were able to get the cat to breathe again.
"It's not normally something we do, but at the time all the firefighters were perfectly safe and didn't need any treatment," Pilcher's Ambulance Paramedic Nickolas McIntyre said. "We found it best that if the people were losing their entire home, we could at least try to save something of their life."
The cat was taken to a veterinary clinic in Ozark, where it's receiving treatment.
Following Throckmorton and McIntyre's life-saving efforts, the homeowner contacted them and the other first responders to thank them for saving their cat's life and for their quick response.
"Feels nice to be appreciated every once in a while," McIntyre said. "Everyone's going to be happy that they make it to the hospital or are safe, but just that little bit of 'Hey, I appreciate what you do.' Without expecting much in return for it. That's nice."
The homeowners tell us that the garage area is destroyed but can be rebuilt. The other side of the home sustained water and smoke damage, which can also be repaired.