They’re heroes because they do whatever it takes to save a life, even if that life isn’t human.

When a building in Atlanta went up in flames earlier this year, police officers were first on the scene.

Officers Robert Winkler and Austin Denninger were among the first responders and they raced into the building to see if anyone needed assistance.

The brave duo didn’t find any people but they did spot a poor pooch lying on the ground amid the smoke and fire, obviously suffering.

The dog was unconscious and worse, not breathing. Denninger didn’t even think twice.

With his partner’s body cam recording the whole scene, Denninger scooped up the dying pup and ran outside.

And as heroes are trained in lifesaving techniques, that’s precisely what this officer did next: doggy CPR!

He worked quickly because he had no idea how long the dog had been unconscious…and as he worked, everyone held their collective breaths.

Finally, the pooch woke up and began to breathe! As Denninger told WMAZ:

“When it finally started to come to and it caught its breath, it was breathtaking for me.”

Added his buddy Winkler:

“The last thing you want is that this dog is going to die right in front of me.

It’s a really low feeling, so you have to do something. You can’t just stand by.”

Later, in an email sent to TODAY, Sargeant John Chafee said he was “extremely proud of everyone involved.” And why shouldn’t he be?

These officers saw an opportunity to help a living creature and jumped at that opportunity. That animal wasn’t going to die on their watch!

And this is what heroes are or perhaps, to be more specific, how heroes are born.

By the way, the dog – fittingly named Smokey – is doing well. He still has a little cough but otherwise, he’s recovering nicely.

There’s no way of knowing how Smokey ended up in that abandoned building but he may have been a homeless person’s companion at one point.

But he’s alive. And all because of two very brave cops.

However, they don’t really see it that way. To them, it was just another day on the job. Finished Denninger:

“As an officer, it’s our job, and I think that any officer would do the same thing.”

Source: Today

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