Pulling The Burnt, Lifeless Puppy From The Flames, Fireman Bill Valiantly Fights to Save Him

Most of us suffer a secret dread of being trapped in a fire…we think of the flames licking at our heels, the smoke causing us to choke.

It’s horrifying, and not only for humans.

Bill Lindler is a firefighter with the Hanahan Fire Department, and he knows firsthand all of the horrors that fire can bring.

He had just returned home from work when he saw his neighbor’s garage had burst into flame.

Worse, he knew there was a mother dog and her puppies in there, so he raced to help them:

“I saw Mama dog and several puppies running out,” Lindler told The Dodo.

“I saw one puppy trying to make his way out, when a piece of the ceiling fell on top of him.

He started yelping, but he wiggled himself free and backed into a corner and cowered down.”

Lindler’s heart sank when he saw that.

The building was burning too fast and too hot for him to attempt a heroic rescue of the baby puppy, even though he knew the little guy was probably dying in there.

When the fire department arrived, Lindler took the opportunity to enter the building and quickly made his way to where the suffering pup was huddled behind a couch.

He had suffered burns over most of his body and he wasn’t even breathing. Said Lindler:

“I brought him outside, and he was pretty bad. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t breathing.

I did mouth-to-snout on him, until we could administer oxygen.“

The puppy was rushed to a vet where treatment was begun immediately!

Thankfully, the vets did their job quickly and well, and amazingly, the stalwart puppy survived!

But his ordeal was far from over, and it was going to take a lot of time and money to care for him.

And when Lindler heard that the owners didn’t want to foot the bill for the dog’s recovery, he immediately stepped in and took over responsibility for the pooch.

He officially adopted him and began any and all treatments that could make the puppy, who he named Jake, heal ASAP.

“All in all, it was about four months of recovery,” Lindler told ABC News.

“Of course, even when he came home, we still had to continue putting special antibiotics and ointments, and his scars will always remain.

We actually have to put sunscreen on him when we take him to the beach.”

After Jake had recovered enough to enjoy road trips, Lindler took him to the fire department.

Everyone was thrilled to see how well he had healed.

“He’s just the cutest little thing there is. Everybody fell in love with him,” Lindler said.

Such an incredible ride for Jake!

And the chief of Halahan Fire Department even decided to swear in Jake that year as an honorary firefighter, and also made him the official mascot for the fire department.

That’s when Lindler started planning for Jake’s career. Every dog deserves a job!

“He loves sniffing and snooping around when I play with him and hide his toys,” he said.

“So I figured, hey, he might be a good fit for being a detection dog.”

Amazing. Jake went from almost perishing in a deadly fire to becoming a hero dog! 😀

Congratulations, Jake. You definitely had your “trial by fire” and you’ve come through with flying colors…thanks to your best friend.

Keep up the good teamwork! 😀