‘They just kept coming’: Nearly 20 dogs rescued from Hants County fire

In 35 years as a volunteer firefighter, Brett Tetanish says he has never seen a fire like the one he witnessed Saturday night in Newport Station, N.S.

About 20 dogs were rescued from a fire in a single-story house. One dog did not survive.

“Every time I looked, it seemed like there was a firefighter or a couple more firefighters taking another dog out of the house and I was like, ‘Oh my God! You know, how many are there?’ And they kept coming,” said the chief of the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department.

Tetanish said the people living in the home were not there at the time of the fire, which was reported around 6:30 p.m. AT.

Tetanish said about 40 firefighters responded, including two other departments.

“We probably had as many firefighters caring for the dogs as we did fighting the fire,” he said.

It is not clear why there were so many dogs in the house.

Special oxygen masks

Tetanish said the departments have oxygen masks for the animals, but they didn’t have enough to give to all the dogs, including a litter of puppies, so they had to use some more suitable for humans.

“It was heartwarming to see that firefighters are so careful with dogs,” Tetanish said. “You know, they’re giving the dogs oxygen and whatever else they had to do to take care of them.”

Tetanish said some veterinary technicians from a local animal hospital also helped care for the dogs, which were then taken to emergency clinics in the Halifax area.

Fire details

The fire was contained to the kitchen area, Tetanish said. He said there is some fire and water damage in that area, as well as smoke damage throughout the house.

Tetanish said the fire is considered accidental, but the cause is unclear.

He said two people who live next to the property were treated for smoke inhalation and are believed to be okay. He believes they entered the house to put out the fire and possibly get some of the dogs out.

MORE TOP STORIES