At approximately 4:09 p.m. Tuesday, Trooper Justin Hansen was on patrol in Porter County when he received a page of an active residential fire at 535 South 500 West in Porter Township (Porter County). Trooper Hansen is also a volunteer fireman with the Boone Grove Fire Department. When Trooper Hansen arrived on scene, he observed thick black smoke coming from the garage windows. Also on scene were two Porter County Sheriff’s Deputies, two Hebron Police Officers and the Hebron Fire Chief. No fire engines had yet arrived to put the fire out. Quick thinking by these 1stresponders resulted in their entering the smoke filled structure and removing a total of 7 dogs that were all unconscious. Two of the dogs were pregnant. The dogs appeared to be unresponsive as a result of smoke inhalation. None of the 1st responders were injured.
The 1st responders then took immediate action and began C.P.R. on the canines; providing oxygen in an attempt to revive them. Some of the officers and neighbors were able to open the dog’s airway and blow air into their lungs. When E.M.S. arrived on scene, 1st responders were then able to use “pet masks” in order to better provide oxygen into the canines. The canines were then all transported by the police officers in their police cars to local animal hospitals for treatment. The worst of the dogs was taken to an animal hospital in Valparaiso by Trooper Hansen. As he drove his police car, Kouts Fireman Mike Luzack administered C.P.R. in the back seat to the injured canine. As of the writing of this news release, all of the dogs have survived the incident as a result of everyone’s brave actions. The dogs are all Labradors and the owner is a local breeder.
Boone Grove Fire Chief Mike Meinert stated that this is only the third time in 10 years that the pet masks had been used. He stated that the pet masks were donated by a caring citizen. He also stated that this fire did not appear to be suspicious in nature; but that it may have been caused by a heat lamp that was in the garage. The homeowners were not home at the time of the incident.