Bouncy poodle Boris meets life-saving firefighter

Boris was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation when firefighter Paul Scott of Minsterley Fire Station first encountered him after a tumble dryer caught fire in the kitchen where he was being kept.

Mr Scott is an on-call firefighter with Minsterley Station, which means that in additional to a full-time job, he is also on-call and able to help Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service with emergencies in his local area.

He said: “When we arrived at the scene, Boris was in the arms of a neighbour who had heard the smoke alarm in the house, raised the alarm and rescued the dog.

“Boris was unresponsive and in the neighbour’s arms when we arrived but we administered first aid by massaging his chest and providing him with oxygen with help from a special pet mask which was donated to us by a charity called Smokey Paws.

“After what felt like forever, he started to come around. He was understandably distressed after the ordeal but by the time he was on his way to the local vets for a check-up he seemed to have perked up and was thankfully going to be okay.”

Owner Kaye Tolley, from Westbury, said: “We are very grateful to Paul for saving Boris’ life.

“I lost a previous dog last year to cancer so Boris is the heart and soul of our family – I couldn’t have coped with the loss of another dog.

“I’d also like to thank our neighbour Nick Jackson, as he called the fire service when he heard our smoke alarm. Without his help, Boris might not have made it out alive.”

Head of Service Delivery, Kevin Faulkner said: “The risk of fire is thankfully small, but you should keep safety in mind when you use your dryer and always turn if off before you leave the house – this also extends to service washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers, even if you go out even for a short period.

“Unfortunately for Boris, the kitchen door was closed but this did mean the fire and smoke damage was largely contained to one room of the house.

“Closed doors will restrict the amount of oxygen and slow down or stop the spread of smoke to other rooms for a while. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of closing doors before you go out or before you go to bed.

“A potentially very serious situation has thankfully been avoided here due to a working smoke alarm.

“The early warning made the difference between life and death for Boris and helped a crew get there before devastating damage was done to the family’s home and possessions.”