A family’s dog was saved from a Medford home on Lollypine Lane that was destroyed in a fire Wednesday afternoon.
Medford Fire Department Chief Bill Hart told Patch that the fire was called in at 1:50 p.m. and was under control an hour later. The cause of the blaze is unknown.
Hart said three chiefs arrived and did an initial search and attack until other units arrived on scene.
The chief said saving the family’s dog was “touch and go” and three police officers were working on the dog. The dog was on the opposite side of the house from the fire but was in danger of smoke inhalation.
As luck would have it, Hart told Patch that a former veterinarian who lives next door was able to help save the pet.
Nikki Soto, who has 15 years of experience as a vet tech and is also a volunteer with the Medford Ambulance Company, was home and off-duty at the time of the fire.
Soto told Patch the dog, named Spade, was carried out of the house and was non-responsive. She asked her husband to bring out ice, called a co-worker to get an IV for fluids and also got oxygen for the dog.
Soto said that getting all three into the dog gradually got the pet to start blinking his eyes, color improved and the animal was able to sit up. Soto said the dog’s owners transported their revived pet to Farmingville Animal Hospital where it is in stable condition.
While no family members were home at the time of the fire, Hart said one cat inside the house did not survive the blaze. Additionally, Hart reported that the home was about 90 percent damaged and is now unlivable.
Also on the scene were the Medford Ambulance Company, North Patchogue Fire Department and the Hagerman Fire Department.
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