By Daniella Segura
The Charlotte Observer
BROOKINGS, Ore. — After an Oregon home “burned to the ground,” a humane society got a phone call from a fire marshal.
A puppy had been burned in the Brookings fire, the South Coast Humane Society said in a March 24 Facebook post.
“I told (the fire marshal) I would meet her at the shelter right away,” a humane society official wrote.
The fire marshal walked in the shelter’s door, clutching the 16-pound puppy.
At first glance, the society said the puppy didn’t look like he was in too bad of shape.
However, when the humane society took a closer look, it “could tell that he had been burned on a large portion of his left back and there were multiple other areas that were burned and felt like plastic.”
The society said it took photos of the dog’s injuries and sent them to a veterinarian, who provided instructions on how to care for the puppy.
Following the veterinarian’s “advice to a T.,” the society said the pup underwent “intensive care,” which included multiple cold baths, medication, wound management, skin removal and, of course, “lots of love.”
After three weeks of care, the pup was ready to find a home.
The fire marshal who took the pup to the shelter knew of a firefighter in Coos Bay who might have been interested in adopting the dog.
“They fell in love,” the society wrote. “This awesome firefighter and his wife visited Smokey multiple times until I was confident that his skin was on the mend and he could go home without the threat of infection.”
The canine, who was given the name “Smokey,” went home over the weekend.
“He will be trained to go out and be an advocate for the ‘stop, drop, and roll’ presentations in the school districts,” the society said.
The firefighter who adopted Smokey took to Facebook to let others know the family is “bonding very well.”
“Smokey is a very happy pup,” the firefighter commented on the society’s post.
Brookings sits on the Oregon - California border, about a 220-mile drive southwest from Eugene.
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